Sam Grows Up
by CarsWorldFan
Summary: Many years before he became a fireman, Sam was just like any other child growing up in the small Welsh village of Pontypandy. But everything changed one night, when he innocently caused one of Pontypandy's worst tragedies... Will he ever be able to make up for his mistake? WARNING: Character death.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 **Pontypandy - Summer 1975**

The sun had barely risen, when I pounced on my twelve-year-old brother's bed, waking him abruptly.

"Oh, Sam! Don't do that!" Charlie growled crossly.

"But it's our last day of the summer holidays, and I don't want to waste a second of it!" I protested. I jumped off the bed and ran over to the window. "It's a beautiful day, and I want to go fishing!"

Groaning sleepily, Charlie sat up. "All right, all right! I'm up… I suppose dad and granddad have already gone out to sea?"

"Yes, but they said we could borrow their fishing gear. I thought we'd try fishing from the old pier today."

"But dad said we're not to go there anymore, because it's too dangerous!"

"Well, I haven't seen anything dangerous about it. Just because something's old, that doesn't mean it's dangerous."

"But dad said-"

"We don't have to go to the end of it."

Charlie sighed in defeat. "Oh, all right. Is breakfast ready?"

"Yup! Mum made pancakes with stewed strawberries. I've already had mine!" And with that, I dashed out of the room, heading towards the stairs. Unfortunately, in my haste, I misjudged the top step, and I tripped over. Before I could stop myself, I went tumbling head-over-heels all the way down the stairs.

My fall was only stopped when I collided with the wall opposite the base of the stairs. I wasn't hurt at all, so I promptly sat up. As I dusted myself, I saw a pair of familiar feet appear beside me.

"Muuum!" Charlie yelled from upstairs. "Sam fell down the stairs again!"

"I know, Charlie!" mum called back in reply. "I heard him coming."

I started to laugh. That is, until mum grabbed me by my upper arm. She pulled me to my feet.

"Sam, when I banned you from sliding down the bannister, I didn't mean that you should find an alternative way to slide down the stairs!"

I resumed laughing hysterically. Sighing, mum scooped me up into her arms, and she carried me away down the hall. I stopped laughing when I realised where she was taking me. _Oh, no! Not her examination room, again!_

Our mum, Mary Jones, was the only nurse in the whole town of Pontypandy, but she worked alongside the elderly Dr Roberts. Our dad, David Jones, and granddad, Tomos Jones, were fishermen, so they spent most of their time out at sea. Because our parents were so busy with their jobs, Charlie was often left to look after me, since I was the youngest at only eight-years-old.

Mum laid me down on the stainless-steel examination table. "Right… Now you just lie there for a few minutes until you've settled down." She shook her head when she felt my pulse in my wrist. "It's not even eight o'clock, and you're already hyper! I'll just make sure you haven't broken anything."

"I'm fine, mum," I insisted as I sat up. "It didn't hurt."

Mum frowned thoughtfully. Then she cupped my chin in her hands. "Did you hit your head?"

"No… Can I go fishing now? Please?"

"Oh, all right," mum reluctantly agreed. "I suppose you'd better go and burn off some of that boundless energy of yours, before you go back to school tomorrow. Your lunch is on the bench. Just don't go near the old pier. It's too dangerous."

I gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks, mum! Tell Charlie I'll meet him on the beach!"

"Stay safe!"

After I'd collected granddad's fishing tackle from the garden shed, I made my way down to the beach. It was just across the road from our house, and the old wooden pier jutted out from the nearby rocks. In the distance beyond the pier, I could just see Pontypandy Island. Charlie and I knew the island better than anyone else in town, along with most of the other areas in and around Pontypandy. Other people might get lost, but not me and Charlie.

Gazing out to sea, I saw a familiar figure strolling along the beach.

 _Oh! It's Fireman Steele! Perfect! I haven't played a practical joke on him in ages. I think my last joke scared him too much, and he's been avoiding me. Hehe! I hope he likes this one!_

Sitting down in the sand, I quickly bent a rusty fish hook so that it fitted around my left index finger. From one side, it really looked like I'd impaled my finger on the hook.

 _And now, for the piece-de-resistance!_

Opening up my lunchbox, I dipped a finger into the strawberry jam on my sandwich. I then spread it around the fish hook on my finger, to make it look like blood. _Hehe! That should trick him! Now, time for the best acting job in history!_

"OW!" I screamed, and I clutched at my finger. "Help me, please! Someone!"

I smirked when I saw Fireman Steele start to run over to me. _Yes! He fell for it!_

"What have you done to yourself this time, young Sam?" Fireman Steele asked me anxiously when he reached me.

"Ow! I got a fish hook through my finger!" I exclaimed, hoping that my tears looked convincing.

Fireman Steele took hold of my left hand. "I see. Let me take a look. Hmm… That does look rather nasty, and… Just a moment! That isn't blood! That's…"

I tried to pull my hand free, but Fireman Steele held onto it firmly, and he pulled the hook off. His expression changed from concern to anger.

"You've played a joke on me, Samuel Jones! How dare you!" He tightened his grip around my wrist.

"Ow! Hey! Let go of my wrist!" I exclaimed as I struggled to get free.

"Give me one good reason why I should?" Fireman Steel growled crossly. "Your pranks have gone too far lately! I really should take you across my knees and give you a good hiding!"

"No! Please, don't!" I begged desperately. "I didn't mean any harm! It was just a joke!"

"I'll give you 'jokes', you little imp!"

"Sam!" Charlie called from the top of the sand dune. "Come on! We need to get going, or there'll be no fish left for us!"

I finally managed to wriggle free from Fireman Steele, and I snatched up my fishing gear before making a run for it. Fireman Steele didn't bother chasing after me.

"I'll deal with you later, Samuel Jones!" he shouted after me.

Charlie and I sprinted down to the end of the pier.

"Whew! Thanks for saving me, Charlie!" I gasped once we'd stopped running. "I was sure he was going to spank me that time!"

"Well, it's no more than you deserve."

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Does it matter? Come on. Let's fish!"

"Okay. Oh, no!" I facepalmed myself. "I left my bait tin down on the beach!"

Charlie sighed. "Well, you can't have any of my worms. I spent three hours digging these fat beauties out of the garden yesterday."

"Fine!" I stormed off to go and get my bait tin. I was halfway down the pier when one of the wooden boards suddenly gave way beneath me. "Ah!" I yelped as I fell through the pier. I stopped falling abruptly when my arms reached the edge of the hole I'd just created. I was wedged up to my armpits. "Ouch! Charlie! Help me! I'm stuck!"

Charlie ran over to me. "Oh, Sam! Here! Give me your hands." Charlie tried to pull me out, but it was no good. I was stuck fast.

"Ow," I whimpered, as I struggled to breath. The tight hole was beginning to strangle my chest. "You'd better go and get help, Charlie. I can't breathe properly!"

"Okay, Sam. I'll be back soon. Stay right there!"

"Very funny!" I muttered as Charlie ran off, heading back towards our house. "I'm hardly likely to be going anywhere right now…"

…

It seemed like hours before Charlie returned with mum. She was carrying her medical bag with her. I was resting my chin in my hands while I waited for them to arrive. It was the most comfortable position I could get into at that moment.

"Oh, Sam!" mum exclaimed when she reached me. "This is exactly why we told you and Charlie not to go on the pier in the first place! You're a very naughty boy, disobeying us like that!"

"Sorry, mum," I muttered. _This is so embarrassing! At least it can't get any worse…_

At that moment, I heard a siren approaching. Groaning, I buried my head in my hands.

 _Oh no! Mum's called the cavalry! Fireman Steele will never let me forget this!_

I saw the near-new, big red fire engine that the firemen fondly called 'Jupiter' park near the pier, and three firemen got down. I groaned again, knowing exactly who they were. _It's Station Officer Boyce, Fireman Lucas and Fireman Steele!_

The three firemen ran down the pier to where we were.

"Oh, dear, Sam!" Fireman Steele exclaimed jubilantly when he saw my predicament. "You've really put your foot in it this time, haven't you?"

I scowled crossly. _I thought firemen were supposed to be compassionate?_

"The wood is compressing his ribcage, because the hole isn't quite big enough for him," mum explained. "We need to free him as quickly as possible."

"Right," Station Officer Boyce said. "Lucas? Go back to Jupiter and fetch a length of rope, and the axe."

My eyes widened in horror. "You're not going to cut me in half!"

The firemen laughed.

"No, Sam," Station Officer Boyce reassured me. "Just relax, and we'll have you out of there soon."

When Fireman Lucas returned, he slipped the rope's noose under my arms. "Sam's secured now, sir."

"Excellent! Fireman Steele. Start chopping. The rest of you, stand well back, please."

I winced and looked away as Fireman Steele began chopping through the wooden plank I was trapped in. He made sure I was never in any danger of being hit by the flying axe. Minutes later, the wood had splintered enough for me to be able to be pulled free. I breathed a heavy sigh of relief when I felt mum remove the rope. Then, she hugged me tightly

"Oh, thank you, everyone!" she exclaimed with relief. She lifted me into her arms, and she sat me against her hip. "I think I'll keep him safely indoors for the rest of the day."

"But, mum! It's the last day of the holidays!" I protested.

"Exactly! And I want to ensure you actually get to school safely tomorrow."

"But that's not fair! It wasn't my fault I got stuck!"

"It is, actually," Charlie reminded me. "It was your idea to come here to fish, even though dad told us not to."

"Bigmouth!" I shouted, and I wriggled out of mum's arms.

Seeing me escape, Charlie started to run towards the end of the pier. I followed him in hot pursuit, much to the amusement of the firemen.

"You'll pay for that, tattletale Charlie!" I shouted crossly. I'd almost caught up with Charlie by the time we'd reached the end of the pier. But instead of stopping, we both bomb-dived off the end, landing straight in the ocean. When we surfaced, we both started swimming furiously.

"Argh! Leave me alone, Sam!"

"Make me!"

Grabbing hold of Charlie around his waist, I pushed him under the water for a few seconds. Mum and the firemen reached the end of the pier then, and they helplessly watched us fighting in the water.

Charlie tried to retaliate by punching me in the nose. Luckily, he missed, because I dived under the water when I saw him lining up to take a swing at me. Underwater, I grabbed hold of his legs. Twisting vigorously, he tried to shake me off, but failed. When I surfaced for air, I heard the adults talking.

"Sam! Charlie! Stop fighting at once!" mum ordered.

"No, don't stop them!" Station Officer Boyce said, grinning. "I'm enjoying this!"

"Leave me alone, Sam!" Charlie snapped angrily, just as he wriggled out of his trousers. Grabbing them, I started swimming towards the beach. "SAM! Come back here with my trousers!"

Laughing, I ran onto the beach, dragging my brother's trousers behind me. "Haha! You told me to leave you alone! And now you've got to walk home in your underpants!"

Up on the pier, mum facepalmed herself and she shook her head in disbelief, while the firemen laughed hysterically.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 2

"So, what did you two get up to today?" dad asked Charlie and I over dinner later that evening.

Charlie scowled. He still wasn't talking to me after I stole his trousers. I sniggered. _Serves him right for telling on me!_

Mum brought some more food over to the table. "They've had a bit of a fight," she whispered.

"Well, that's not like you two," granddad said. "What caused it?"

"Sam stole my trousers," Charlie muttered.

Granddad snorted a laugh. "Did he give them back?"

"Not yet."

"And I don't plan to, either," I added.

Dad frowned. "Now, Sam. That's not very nice, is it?"

"But he was teasing me, dad!"

"That's no excuse. Now, give them back to him, so you can end this silly quarrel."

"No! He doesn't deserve to have them back!"

Charlie's fist came from nowhere, and it caught me right on my nose. "OW!" I shrieked, genuinely this time, and I tumbled out of my chair. I covered my nose with my hands to try and stop the pain. "Charlie!"

"You deserved that!" Charlie shouted furiously, and he stood up. "In fact, you deserve another!"

I instinctively held my hands up to protect my face as Charlie came towards me. Luckily, dad grabbed hold of Charlie's wrist.

"That's quite enough, Charlie! If you want to take up boxing, you should pick on someone your own size! Go upstairs to your room! You can go to bed without any pudding!"

Knowing better than to disobey dad, Charlie reluctantly headed upstairs. Granddad kindly gave me a hand up.

"Uh, Mary?" he called to mum. "Sam's nose is bleeding."

"Oh dear!" mum sighed. She grabbed a couple of old rags before coming over to me. "Tilt your head back, Sam. That's it." She covered my nose with the rags. "It doesn't look too bad… I don't think it's broken, so hopefully it should stop bleeding in a few minutes."

Sure enough, it did. Relieved, I returned to the table to finish my dinner.

After dinner, I joined mum, dad and granddad in the sitting room. Since we didn't have a TV, my family enjoyed spending the evenings talking in front of the fireplace. I was exhausted after all the excitement I'd had that day, and so I curled up beside granddad on the sofa, resting my head in his lap. Granddad fondly stroked my auburn hair, which nearly made me doze off. However, I stayed awake enough to listen to the adults' conversation.

"It's been quite a while since the boys have had a fight like that," dad began. "I wonder what's got into them?"

"Sam was hyper this morning, so that probably had something to do with it," mum replied. "I wish I knew where he got his energy from! I feel sorry for his new school teacher. She might have to tie him to his seat, just to keep him still. Oh, and that reminds me. I heard that the Criddlingtons have sent Elvis away to boarding school this semester, to teach him to be independent. Perhaps we should consider doing the same with Sam?"

Dad chuckled. "Sam is already far too independent, and much too headstrong for his own good. I don't think boarding school is the answer for him."

"Besides," granddad added as he continued stroking my hair. "We'd all miss him. Especially me. His boundless energy makes me feel much younger."

"I saw Station Officer Boyce on my way home this afternoon," dad continued. "He told me about having to rescue Sam from the pier. I was going to punish him for disobeying me, but I think Charlie's punch has been enough of a punishment. But do you know what Boyce said to me?"

"What?" mum and granddad asked in unison.

"He said, and I quote, 'I know I haven't been in Pontypandy for very long, but from what I've seen of your youngest son, Sam, I think he'll make a brilliant fireman one day'."

Mum and granddad laughed, while I scoffed silently.

 _Why on earth would I want to become a fireman? It'd be so boring waiting around for a fire to happen. I'd rather be a policeman. That way, I'd get to chase criminals all day, and lock them up!_

"Why does Boyce think that Sam would make a great fireman?" granddad wondered.

"He said it's because Sam's so energetic and fearless," dad replied. "And because he's a natural leader. He was also quite impressed that Sam was a strong swimmer, despite his size, even with all his clothes on."

 _Oh, not again, dad! Stop picking on me for being small! It's not my fault. I'll catch up to Charlie one day…_

"Well, I don't want Sam to become a fireman," mum said firmly. "It's far too dangerous."

"So is being a fisherman," granddad pointed out. "But if Boyce thinks Sam should become a fireman, he's a good judge of character. Sam needs a career that will help him focus his energy into something useful."

"He's quite good at football, so he could always play for Wales," mum said as she stood up. "I wouldn't mind seeing him do that." She took a bag of marshmallows down from the top of the cupboard in the kitchen. Hearing the bag rustle, I sat up alertly.

"Can I have some, please mum?"

Dad and granddad burst out laughing.

"I swear that boy has radar!" dad exclaimed, pointing at me.

Mum held out the bag to me, and I grabbed a handful of the sticky treats. Then, I picked up the fireplace poker, and I stuck a marshmallow onto the end of it.

"Be careful not to drop any onto the floor, Sam," mum warned as I held the poker above the hot coals in the fireplace.

"I will, mum."

As soon as my marshmallow caught fire, I removed the poker from the fireplace, and I blew out the flames. Then, I ate the melted marshmallow right off the poker.

"My turn!" granddad said as he stood up. I handed the poker to him.

After I'd finished cooking and eating all of my marshmallows, mum sent me to bed. For once, I didn't protest, since she'd let me stay up well past my usual bedtime.

…

"Sam! Charlie! Wake up! It's time to get ready for school!"

Groaning, I buried my head under my pillow. _It's too early!_

Mum entered my room a few minutes later. "Sam? Didn't you hear me calling you?"

I reluctantly rolled over. "Do I have to go, mum?"

Mum nodded. "Yes, you do! Now, get up, and get dressed. You've got a new bus driver picking you up today."

 _A new bus driver as well as a new teacher? Hmm… This might be fun!_

About an hour later, Charlie and I left the house with our satchels and skateboards. We skateboarded down to the bridge that crossed over the High Street. The bus stop was in the High Street, in front of old Mrs Sanderson's supermarket. Charlie stopped when he reached the top of the stairs, and he picked up his skateboard. I, however, continued skateboarding down the road.

"Sam!" Charlie called. "Where are you going?"

I stopped and turned around on my skateboard. "I'm going to try a new trick. Stand back!"

Charlie gasped when he realised what I was planning to do. "No, Sam! It's far too dangerous!"

Ignoring him, I skateboarded towards the stairs. I launched myself off the top step, just as the bus stopped in front of the supermarket. Twisting slightly, I landed sideways on the handrail, and I did a perfect rail slide down it.

 _Yes! Nailed it! Oh, no! Now the bus is in my way!_

When I reached the end of the handrail, I was launched into the air. Somehow, I managed to stay on my board when it landed on the tarmac, and I tried to swerve away from the bus, but it was too late. My right elbow clipped the side of the bus, knocking me off my board.

"Oof!" I exclaimed as I landed heavily on the road. I rolled several times, before I finally came to a stop. I lay still in the middle of the road for a moment, to try and catch my breath. I heard an anxious crowd gather around me.

"Oh, no!"

"Not Sam again!"

"Is he dead?"

"Of course he isn't, Gwen! He's still breathing!"

"Someone should fetch Doctor Roberts."

"I wouldn't bother. It's only Sam. He never gets seriously hurt, no matter how hard he tries."

Sure enough, I chose that moment to sit up. The other children in Pontypandy: Bronwyn and Gwen Griffiths, Tony, Andrew and Anna, had gathered around me, along with a number of adults. A dark man, who appeared to be of Caribbean descent, looked to be the most concerned. I guessed that he was the new bus driver.

"I'm fine, everyone," I tried to reassure them all. But just then, I saw Dr Roberts pushing his way through the crowd. He knelt down beside me.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that, eh, young Sam? That was quite a collision! Don't try to deny it. I saw you!"

I chuckled. "Did you see me do that rail slide? I'd have made it if that bus hadn't been in the way…"

Dr Roberts frowned sternly. "Well, now that you've done it, I hope that you never try it again. You could've hit your head and knocked yourself out, or worse! Now, do you hurt anywhere?"

"No."

"Oh, look! His arm's bleeding!" Anna gasped.

I looked at my right-hand elbow. Sure enough, it was bleeding, but not badly. "Big deal," I said with a shrug. "It'll stop soon."

"You'd better get that graze cleaned up before we go to school, Sam," Charlie said. "Oh, and look at your shirt! You've shredded it!"

"Stop it! You sound like mum!"

Charlie folded his arms across his chest. "I wouldn't have to if you knew how to look after yourself!"

"I do!"

"That's enough squabbling, you two," Dr Roberts instructed. "Come with me, Sam."

Rather reluctantly, I followed Dr Roberts inside the supermarket. He lifted me onto the counter, so he could easily clean my wound. The new bus driver watched on with concern.

"Don't be too worried about Sam, Mr Evans," Dr Roberts explained as he washed the blood away. "Sam is the type of boy who always bounces instead of breaking."

I sniggered until Dr Roberts put some alcohol on my wound. "Ow! That stings!"

"Serves you right in my opinion," Mr Evans said sternly. He glanced at his watch. "Will this take much longer? I need to get these kids off to school."

"I'll just put this sticking plaster over the gaze…" Dr Roberts explained as he did so. "There you go, Sam. Now, you can go to school."

"Thanks, Doctor Roberts," I muttered. Then, I dashed outside and I climbed on board the bus. _Ha! The back seat is mine again! Hehe! Now to play my practical jokes…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 3

 _Trust the new bus driver to get us to school early,_ I thought as I reluctantly got out of the bus with Gwen, Andrew and Anna.

"I'll be back at three o'clock to collect you," Mr Evans called, before he drove away with the Grammar school kids. The Newtown Grammar School was on the other side of town, so I wouldn't see Charlie again until later that afternoon.

I slung my satchel over my shoulder and tucked my skateboard under my arm, before I walked through the Newtown Primary School gates. _Pity we don't have a school in Pontypandy. Then I could sleep in each morning. Oh well. Time to set up my practical jokes for the day… This is what I love about the first day back at school. I can set up heaps of practical jokes without being caught, because the teachers aren't on their guard, hehe!_

While the rest of the early arrival kids were playing out in the yard, I snuck away to find my new classroom. It wasn't hard to find, being next door to my old classroom, and I was glad to see that it was empty. Reaching into my satchel, I took out a whoopee-cushion, a huge fake spider, and a small cup filled with green slime. Grinning, I placed the fake spider inside the top draw of the teacher's desk. Then, I blew up the whoopee-cushion and placed it down on the teacher's chair. Finally, I stood on a chair and carefully placed the cup of slime on top of the door, ensuring it was slightly ajar.

Hearing the bell start to ring outside, I quickly put the chair back, before I escaped out of the window with my satchel and skateboard. Unfortunately, I landed in some rose bushes, so I ended up getting some nasty scratches on my arms and legs.

"Ow!" I muttered as I washed the blood off with my saliva. _Those bushes weren't there before the holidays!_

Feeling more than satisfied with my efforts, I dusted myself off, and then I hurried to join the other kids who were entering the school building. I put my skateboard on a purpose-built rack just inside the main entrance, before I continued on down the hallway. I was glad that Gwen, Andrew and Anna were all in the same class as me, because I wasn't good friends with many of the Newtown students.

As we were lining up outside the classroom, I felt someone tap me on my shoulder. Turning, I saw Gwen standing behind me.

"Are you sure you're all right after your fall this morning, Sam?'

I smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. That was nothing."

"Well, I think you're very brave!"

Blushing, I turned away, just as our new teacher arrived.

"Good morning, everyone. My name is Miss Allen, and I'll be teaching you this year. I want you all to stand in two straight lines before we go inside. And who left this door open?"

I bit my bottom lip when I saw Miss Allen push the classroom door wide open. As I'd hoped, the cup of slime fell off the top of the door, and it landed right on Miss Allen's arm, splattering green slime in all directions.

"Oh, yuck!" Miss Allen exclaimed, while most of my classmates either screamed or laughed. I was amongst those who were laughing. Miss Allen shook the slime off her sleeve. "THAT'S ENOUGH!"

We instantly quietened down, and we sorted ourselves back into two neat rows. Miss Allen scowled crossly as she began to march up and down between our rows.

"I had hoped to start off this school year without any shenanigans, but clearly I've already been proven wrong. Just so you're all aware, your previous teacher, Mrs Phillips, has already told me who the troublemakers are, so I'll be keeping a very close eye on you. And, for the record, I'm not afraid to spare the cane."

I smirked when she wasn't looking. _Even better! So far, no teacher has ever made me cry from a caning, and I can't wait to test her out!_

"Now that that's been made clear to all of you, I want you all to file neatly inside the classroom, and stand beside your assigned desks. Left row first, please."

When I got back inside the classroom, I was just as delighted to find that I'd been assigned a desk at the front of the classroom, along with some of the other students who'd gotten into trouble regularly last year. _Hehe! Perfect! Most teachers think that having the 'troublemakers' at the front of the classroom is good, because they can keep an eye on us. But I prefer it, because it makes it easier to play pranks._

Once we were all inside the classroom, Miss Allen slammed the door closed. "When I find out who put that slime on the door, they will be made to clean it up, along with receiving a caning. And now, you may be seated."

We sat down. Knowing what was about to happen, I put on my well-trained poker face. Miss Allen pulled out her chair, and she sat down.

PPPFFFFFFTTT!

Mortified, Miss Allen leapt out of her chair, clasping her backside with her hands. I heard some of my classmates giggle behind me, but I focused on maintaining my poker face, even though I was bursting with laughter inside.

Miss Allen held up the whoopee-cushion. Her face was beetroot red with anger. "WHO PUT THIS DEVICE ON MY CHAIR?"

None of us dared to move. Miss Allen tossed the whoopee-cushion into the bin in disgust, before she sat down again.

"The entire class will be kept in for ten minutes at lunchtime, unless the guilty person owns up before then. Now, I will take the roll."

I gulped as Miss Allen opened up her top drawer. _Wait for it…wait for it…!_

Miss Allen's scream nearly blew the windows out. It certainly made my ears ring painfully for several minutes afterwards. And, I swear, Miss Allen leapt a whole foot into the air! The entire class just stared at her in stunned silence.

"WHO PUT THIS SPIDER IN MY DRAWER?" Miss Allen thundered.

I kept my poker face plastered on my face. Several years of experience playing practical jokes on teachers had taught me not to own up when a teacher was in a rage. I'd wait until she'd calmed down, because canings didn't hurt as much when the person dishing them out wasn't angry.

Miss Allen glared at us all for a moment, before she removed the fake spider from her drawer. It ended up in the bin, along with the whoopee cushion.

 _Oh, well. There's more where they came from, if I can't get them back without her seeing me._

"The entire class will be kept in after school, until the guilty person owns up," Miss Allen said with a dangerous calmness. Andrew cautiously raised his hand. "Yes? Was it you?"

"No, Miss Allen," Andrew replied. "But, you can't keep us in after school, because some of us live in other villages."

I nodded in agreement, along with about ten other students.

"That's not my problem. I'll just have to phone your parents to come and collect you. I'm sure they'll be thrilled about that."

I looked sheepishly down at my desk. _I can't let the others get punished. I suppose I'd better own up now, and get it over with._ Taking a deep breath, I stood up. "I did it, Miss Allen."

Miss Allen raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I see. And what is your name?"

"Jones. Sam Jones."

"Oh, yes… Mrs Phillips warned me about you and your pranks. She also said that you don't react when you're caned, is that correct?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't hurt."

"Oh, doesn't it? Well, we'll see about that! Come out here! I'll make you cry, if it's the last thing I do!"

 _We could be here a while then…_ I thought as I made my way over to her.

Miss Allen selected her thinnest cane from the cupboard, and she came over to me. "Hold out your hands!"

I did as I was instructed. Then, I bit my bottom lip in preparation for the first strike. It stung, but I concentrated on a spot on the wall at the back of the room to take my mind off the pain. I'd taught myself to let my thoughts wander when I was being caned, so in my mind, I began to sing a Welsh sea shanty that granddad had taught me earlier that summer.

Seeing that she wasn't hurting me at all, Miss Allen lost her temper completely, and she brought the cane down across my lower legs. The sudden shock of pain brought me to my knees, winding me. I knelt on the floor, gasping desperately for air.

"Stand up, and go back to your seat, Sam!" Miss Allen snapped.

I tried to stand up, but I couldn't make my legs work. Seeing Miss Allen raise the cane again, adrenalin kicked in, and I bolted back to my seat, despite the pain. _Well, at least she didn't make me cry, so my reputation is still intact!_ "Drewgi," I muttered under my breath. The boy sitting next to me sniggered in amusement.

"Rydych chi'n ddewr iawn, Sam," he whispered.

"Rwy'n gwybod," I replied.

We exchanged smiles. Although speaking Welsh wasn't forbidden, it was still highly discouraged in the classroom, because most of the teachers could only speak English. However, thanks to granddad, I'd grown up bilingual, but I tended to use English more than Welsh anyway. Miss Allen had started taking the roll.

"Fy enw yw Harri," the boy continued.

I nodded, just as Miss Allen called my name. "Samuel Jones?"

"Yma!" I replied automatically. But then, realising my mistake, I quickly placed my hand over my mouth. "Sorry! I-"

"Are you trying to get yourself into even more trouble?" Miss Allen asked sternly.

"No, miss! I just…forgot!"

Miss Allen nodded. "I don't mind if you speak Welsh out on the playground, but in the classroom, you will only speak in English. Please be quiet while I continue taking the roll…"

I sighed tiredly. My legs were really burning from the cane now, but I tried to ignore it.

Once Miss Allen had finished taking the roll, she instructed us to take out our science books. "Today, we're going to start studying the periodic table. Who's ever heard of the periodic table?"

I held up my hand, along with about two thirds of the class.

"Okay, well, that's a good start. Emily? Can you tell us what the periodic table is?"

"It's a table that shows…um…special rocks and miner-something…"

"Minerals?" Miss Allen supplied.

"Yes!"

Miss Allen smiled. "That is partially correct. The periodic table groups chemical elements together, according to their atomic number. You don't need to learn the numbers yet, but you do need to start learning the elements, and their corresponding letter. Sam? How many elements do you know?"

"About twenty, miss," I replied, looking up. _She's going to pick on me for the rest of the day now…_

Miss Allen raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh, really? We'll see about that! I wasn't expecting you to know any. Stand up, and I'll quiz you. Close your book too, please."

I obediently closed my book, and I stood up.

"What is H?"

"Hydrogen."

"K?"

"Potassium."

"Au?"

"Gold."

Miss Allen frowned thoughtfully. "Hg?"

"Mercury."

"Pt?"

"Platinum."

Miss Allen glanced down at her book for a moment. Then she looked straight at me. "Pb?"

"Lead."

The other children started whispering behind me. Henry stared at me, astonished. "Whoa!" I heard him say under his breath.

"What is the melting point for gold?" Miss Allen asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

I thought for a moment. _Oh! I remember reading that sometime last year… Now, what was it? Oh, yes! Now I remember…_ "About a thousand degrees Celsius."

Miss Allen stood up, and she came over to me. Seeing that I couldn't be cheating, she stared at me thoughtfully. "Which metals are combustible?"

"Sodium, lithium, calcium, uranium, potassium and plutonium."

The chatter in the classroom increased.

"Quiet, everyone!" Miss Allen shouted. As soon my classmates had settled down, she turned her attention back to me. "Where did you learn all that?"

"I read my brother's textbooks, while we're doing our homework together," I replied. "He's in Grammar school."

Miss Allen nodded thoughtfully, and she returned to her desk. "I'm going to hand around these sheets with a blank periodic table on them. Take one, and match the element with its correct letters, using the periodic table on page nineteen of your science books as a guide."

I took a sheet as it came to me, and I started filling out the table. I could almost feel Miss Allen's eyes boring into me the whole time. I finished first. As soon as she saw me push my paper aside, Miss Allen came over to me. I handed the paper to her, and she checked it over.

"Very good, Sam. I want you to sit there quietly, while the others finish."

I nodded as I took the paper back from her. _That was easy! I hope she teaches us some harder stuff soon._

Miss Allen started to write out some science problems on the blackboard. While her back was turned, I snuck a rubber band and a number of paper clips off her desk. Bored, I began fiddling with them.

"Right. Has everyone finished that exercise?" Miss Allen asked about five minutes later.

Unfortunately, at that precise moment, I accidentally let go of the rubber band, sending a paper clip flying straight at Miss Allen. It struck her on the arm.

"Ow! Who did that?"

I held up my hand. "Sorry, miss. It slipped."

Miss Allen snatched the rubber band out of my hands, and then she grabbed me by my ear. "I've had more than enough of your shenanigans, Samuel Jones! You will stand in the corner here, facing the wall, until lunchtime! Then, you will clean up that slime before you go outside to play. You'll be caned once for every time you turn around or speak."

 _Well, at least I can't be any more bored that I already was. Ow! This really wouldn't be so bad if my legs weren't sore…_

 **Well, I'm back! Sorry about the delay in updating. For those of you who didn't read the review kindly added by Melonsworth, I wasn't able to update until now, due to being caught up in the flooding south of Brisbane caused by ex-tropical cyclone Debbie. I'm safe, and so is my house, but the floodwater did get to some houses a few streets away. Half of my hometown of Beenleigh was inundated, including the railway station. I've had very limited and unreliable internet until now. My Quarter Pony, Billy, is also safe, but the property he's on has been completely cut off by floodwater, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to see him again. He is being well-cared for though. The death toll from the flooding remains unclear, but at the moment, at least 5 people had died, and 3 are still missing. Full credit and thanks to the firefighters and SES (State Emergency Service) who have been helping out! I know that one firefighter has lost his home and everything he owns in the flooding. The rivers were still rising today, but they should start to go down overnight I could keep going on about the devastation I've seen over the last few days, but you've probably seen it all on the news by now.**

 **Anyway, please remember that this story is set in 1977. Corporal punishment was legal in all British government schools until 1986, so please don't comment if you don't agree with corporal punishment. It was common practice until the 2000s for children to be caned and/or spanked, so whether you agree with it or not is immaterial. Thank you akimakel18 for your comment about nosebleeds. I'm so used to writing about old medical practices (I also write historical fiction novels), that I forget that a lot of those practices are no longer used! I remember treating my childhood nosebleeds by tilting my head back, but I don't do that anymore...**

 **Again, thank you for your patience! I hope this long chapter makes up for the delay. I've put a lot of research into it (and the rest of the story!), to try and get it as accurate as possible. I wasn't around in the 1970s, and I've never been to Wales (although I'm dying to go!) so please forgive any little errors I might have made.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 4

"How was school, boys?" mum asked when we entered the house later that afternoon.

"It was great!" Charlie replied. "I'm starting to learn physics now."

"That's good. And what about you, Sam? What did you learn?"

"Nothing," I muttered. I pushed past her, and I started to climb the stairs.

"Just a moment, Sam! What are those bruises on the back of your legs?"

I froze on the stairs. "Nothing, mum."

Mum came closer to me. "That's hardly nothing! You got caned, didn't you?"

I nodded. Mum grabbed me by my hand, and she pulled me back downstairs.

"Now, why did you get caned?"

"Because I played a few harmless practical jokes on the teacher."

Mum sighed. "Sam, I've told you not to do that!"

"I know, but school's really boring otherwise."

"That's no excuse! Now, get upstairs and do your homework. You won't get any playtime this afternoon."

Charlie and I hurried upstairs, and we went into Charlie's bedroom.

"Are you able to help me with my maths homework please, Sam?" Charlie asked. "I don't quite understand it."

I sat down on his bed with a heavy sigh. "Is it trigonometry again?"

"Yeah. Problem number eight. I can't figure out which angle I should try to solve first."

I smiled. "Let me take a look at it."

Charlie handed over his textbook. "So, when are you going to give my trousers back?"

"They're in the wash," I replied dismissively. "Hmm… I think you need to work out this angle first, before you try and do the rest."

"Okay, thanks. You'd better do your homework now, so you don't get into trouble."

Sighing, I opened up my satchel, and I took out my books.

…

"I'm done!" I announced about an hour later. "I'm going downstairs to get a drink. Would you like anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," Charlie replied dismissively, and he continued doing his homework.

I made my way downstairs. When I entered the kitchen, I found mum busily preparing our dinner.

"Can I have some fizzy drink please, mum?" I asked. "I've finished my homework."

"No, Sam. You know the rules for when you can have fizzy drink. There's some cold water in the fridge that you can have. I'll get it for you."

Mum had just handed me my drink, when dad and granddad arrived home.

"Hey, Sam!" granddad greeted me. "How was school?"

"Boring, as usual…"

Just then, the front doorbell rang. Dad went to answer it.

"Hello, Mr Jones? I'm Sam's teacher, Miss Allen."

I almost choked on my drink. Hearing me coughing and spluttering, mum gave me a gentle slap on my back.

"She's probably here to talk to us about you," she said as soon as I was breathing normally again.

"That's right," dad said as he entered the kitchen. "And she wants Sam to be present as well."

I froze, stunned. _Oh, boy! I'm in for it now!_

Mum gently prised the cup of water from my hands, and she set it down on the bench. Then, mum, dad, granddad and I entered the sitting room where Miss Allen was just making herself comfortable. I didn't dare look at her. Dad placed his hands firmly on my shoulders.

"Miss Allen, this is my wife, Mary," dad said by way of introduction. "And this is my father, Tomos."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Miss Allen replied.

"Would you like some tea?" mum offered.

"Oh, no thank you. I won't be staying long."

We sat down. I decided to sit sideways on granddad's lap, because that's where I always felt safest. Sure enough, he placed an arm securely around my back.

Miss Allen drew in a deep breath. "Um… First of all, I hope you're not upset about me caning Sam at school today…"

Mum and dad exchanged a glance.

"Well, from what he's told me, he thoroughly deserved it," mum replied. "You're not the first teacher he's played practical jokes on, and I doubt you'll be the last."

Miss Allen nodded slowly. I could feel her eyes on me. "So I'm led to understand. I was discussing him with some of his previous teachers in the staff room at lunch time today, and strangely, we all came to the same conclusion."

"What conclusion exactly?" dad asked.

"I believe Sam should be moved up a grade as soon as possible."

Mum frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Because he already knows more than what I can possibly hope to teach him this year. I quizzed him in several subjects today, and I must admit I was astonished. His knowledge of science is equivalent to a child in grade eight! In mathematics, he can already do long and short division, while the rest of his classmates are still struggling with their eight times table! And as far as history goes, especially Welsh history, there doesn't seem to be much he doesn't know already. I'd love to know who taught him so much at such a young age. He said he's learned it all from his brother's homework, but I'm sure there's more to it than that. Anyway, what's even more remarkable is that he actually understands everything he's learned."

I looked up at granddad, and he smiled at me.

"But, surely Sam would struggle being put up a grade?" mum asked with concern.

"On the contrary, I believe he's completely bored at school, because I, and his previous teachers, have been going over topics he already knows. And, that is why he enjoys playing practical jokes on us. That's his outlet for his boredom. Sam? What did your brother learn about at school today?"

"Physics," I replied without even looking at her. I fiddled with the buttons on granddad's shirt sleeve while I spoke. "Newton's laws on motion. Whenever there is an action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, if a bullet is being fired out of a gun, the recoil is the reaction."

Mum and dad gasped in astonishment. Even granddad looked impressed.

"I-I had no idea…" dad stammered.

"How long did it take you to learn that, Sam?" Miss Allen asked.

I shrugged. "Charlie didn't understand it, so I helped him."

Miss Allen learned forward. "Sam?"

I finally made eye contact with her.

"Would you like to move up into the fifth grade?"

I shrugged again. Granddad gave me a nudge.

"Sam, when someone asks you a question, don't shrug in reply. Give them a proper answer."

"Sorry, granddad. I don't know, miss. Will I learn new things?"

Miss Allen smiled. "Yes, I'm sure you will." She looked up at mum and dad. "I've already discussed the possibility of Sam moving up a grade with the school principal. He just needs your approval."

"If we agree, how soon will he have to change classes?" mum asked.

"I think we'll be able to get everything sorted out by next Monday," Miss Allen replied. "It'll be easier, and kinder to Sam, if we move him up as soon as possible, before he has a chance to get settled into his current class."

Dad looked at granddad. "You've been very quiet, dad. What do you think?"

"I don't see the harm in moving Sam up a grade if he's ready for it – which he obviously is. In fact, I think it would do him more harm to keep him in the fourth grade. He's at that age where we want to encourage him to learn new things, because if we don't, we'd only be responsible for hindering him."

Dad nodded thoughtfully. I bit my bottom lip. When all was said and done, this decision was up the dad. He always had the final say.

"Why don't we trial it for a term?" dad finally suggested. "If Sam's grades are not as good or better than his results from last year, we'll know he isn't ready to move up."

"I completely agree!" Miss Allen replied. "But, I can assure you, if he's a hundred percent committed to his studies, his grades won't slip. He's a very intelligent boy, Mr Jones. We just need to channel his intelligence and energy into something more useful than creating practical jokes to play on the teachers…"

I looked sheepishly down at my hands. "I'm sorry, Miss Allen…"

Seeing that I was genuinely sorry, Miss Allen came over to me, and she opened up her handbag. Then, to my utmost surprise, she gave me back my whoopee-cushion and my fake spider.

"We'll say no more about it, okay?"

I merely nodded, because I was too stunned to speak. Miss Allen prepared to leave.

"The principal, Mr Grieves, will phone you tomorrow to confirm everything with you," she said to mum and dad. "Thank you for taking the time to let me speak to you this evening. I wanted to talk to you personally, you see."

"We understand," mum replied as she showed Miss Allen to the door. "Thank you very much for coming."

"You're welcome. I know we all want what's best for Sam."

"We do indeed."

As soon as Miss Allen had gone, I collapsed against granddad's chest with a tired sigh. He started stroking my hair fondly.

"Well, that was completely unexpected!" mum exclaimed. "I had no idea Sam was that smart!"

"It seems we've all overlooked his intelligence," dad agreed. "Now, how long until dinner's ready, my dear?"

"Just give me another fifteen minutes…"

 **Thank you so much for your patience everyone! I've had a bit of a holiday from writing this week, because I was getting burned out. Autohumans, thank you for your good wishes. It was sad seeing so many people standing outside their flooded homes looking completely lost as to what to do next, but I have to say the emergency services were amazing. We take them so much for granted, but they will often risk their own lives just to keep us safe. I was reading a story earlier today about two firefighters who were on their way to the Beaudesert fire station to help with the flood emergency, when they came across two flooded cars. The elderly man in the first car had managed to get out safely, but the second car contained a mother who was desperately trying to get her son to hospital because he was having a severe asthma attack. The firefighters got them all safely to a nearby farm house, where they treated the boy until the paramedics were able to arrive. Sure, they were just doing their job, but they carried on despite the disaster going on around them.**

 **Anyway, I'll update this story again as soon as I can. Please, don't pressure me for updates, because I prefer to work at my own pace. Thanks again for your reviews. I greatly appreciate them.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 5

The following Monday, I arrived at school ready to start my first day in grade five. I hadn't felt this nervous about school since my very first day in grade one. In fact, I was so nervous, I hadn't been able to think up any new practical jokes to play on my new teacher, Mr Davies. I'd never had a male teacher before, so perhaps that was part of the reason why I was so nervous. Being without any of my friends also put me on edge.

Mr Davies was waiting at the school gate when we arrived in Mr Evan's bus. "Which one of you is Samuel Jones?" Mr Davies asked as we started disembarking.

I timidly put my hand up. Mrs Davies nodded, and he grabbed hold of my hand firmly.

"Good. You're coming with me. I'm going to be keeping a close eye on you, young man."

 _Wow! Clearly, my reputation has preceded me._ I had no choice but to go with Mr Davies. He led me inside my new classroom.

"This is your desk," Mr Davies told me, pointing to the desk directly in front of his own. "Your new text books are already in there. I want you to sit down and wait quietly until the bell rings."

"Yes, sir."

Sighing, I took off my satchel, and I sat down at my new desk. Curiosity got the better of me, and I started to look through my new science text book. It didn't look too hard. However, I could feel Mr Davies staring at me the whole time.

Finally, the bell rang. Instead of lining up outside the classroom, my new classmates came inside, and they stood quietly beside their desks. Feeling conspicuous, I slowly stood up beside my own desk. Mr Davies stood up.

"Good morning, class."

"Good morning, Mr Davies," my classmates replied in unison. Then, they all sat down. I did the same. Mr Davies remained standing.

"Before I mark the roll, I'd like to introduce you to your new classmate. Sam? Please stand up."

I did so, and I turned to face the class.

"Sam has just moved up from the fourth grade, so I hope you'll all make him feel welcome. You may sit down now, Sam."

After Mr Davies had called the roll, he asked us to take out our history books.

"Who remembers what we're learning about in history this term? Yes, Adam?"

"The Seven Wonders of the World, sir."

"Correct. And what are the Seven Wonders of the World? Jessica?"

"The Great Pyramid in Egypt. The statue of Colossus. Um… I've forgotten the rest, sir."

"Well, that's two. Would anyone else like to try and name the rest?"

I put my hand up. Mr Davies nodded to me. "The Temple of Artemis. The status of Zeus. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Um…" _Oh, I know the rest! What's the name of that lighthouse?_ "There's a lighthouse, but I've forgotten what it's called."

Mr Davies smiled kindly. "That's okay, Sam. You've done well to get three correct. Does anyone remember what the last two Wonders are?"

Nobody responded. Mr Davies went over to the blackboard, and he started to write up the names of the Seven Wonders.

"The final two are the Lighthouse at Alexandria, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus."

I groaned softly. _I knew that!_

The boy next to me put up his hand. "Excuse me, sir. What is a mausoleum?"

"That is a very good question, Mark. Does anyone know?"

I put up my hand again. "It's an elaborate tomb."

Mr Davies nodded. "That's right, Sam. Now, I'm going to give you all an assignment. Since we now have exactly twenty-eight students in this class, this will work out nicely. You will be divided into groups of four, and I will assign one of the Seven Wonders to each group. You will have a week to research your Wonder, and write up a short, five-minute speech about it. You will then present your speech, along with any pictures and other material you wish to show to the class. The presentations will take place next Monday, so you need to all be ready to present to the class by then. You must all take part in the oral part of the presentation. Those who don't speak will fail this assignment. So, now for the fun part. I'm going to give you five minutes to choose your groups, starting now."

I hesitated. _They probably all know each other, and they'll have their own little groups by now. So, I'll just wait to see who's left over._

Mark tapped me on my arm. "Would you like to join our group, Sam?"

 _Yay! At least I won't be the last one to be picked._ "Sure! Thanks." I sat down on the floor with Mark and a group of two other boys.

"Sam, this is Luke and Daniel," Mark said, introducing me to the other boys. "We've been friends since the second grade."

"Did you really just move up from the fourth grade?" Daniel asked me.

I nodded. "It was too easy for me, and I was bored."

Mr Davies came over to us. "Have you boys settled on being in a group together?"

We all nodded. Mr Davies wrote our names down in a book. "Okay, I'm going to give you the Colossus of Rhodes for your assignment. If you need anything photocopied or made into sheets for the overhead projector, please let me know before Friday."

"We will, sir," Mark replied.

"Ydych chi bob amser yn dod i ben pob brawddeg gyda 'syr'?" I asked.

"Do," Danial replied. "Roedd yn gofyn i ni." We exchanged smiles.

"Okay, I didn't understand what you two just said," Luke muttered with an air of annoyance.

"Mae'n o Birmingham," Daniel explained.

I giggled. "Iawn."

Mark scowled. "Can we keep this conversation in English, please? Since half of us can't understand what the other half of the group is saying."

"You're just jealous," Daniel shot back.

"We need to work out who's going to do what for this project," Luke interjected. "Who wants to get books from the Newtown library?"

"I can do that," Mark volunteered.

"I can get some books from the school library," I offered. "I'll do that during recess."

"What about lunchtime?" Daniel suggested.

I shook my head. "I don't want to miss playing football."

"Are you any good?" Luke asked.

I smiled. "Why don't you see how I go at lunchtime?"

"Okay," Luke agreed. "Daniel and I live only a few houses away from each other, so we can get together to start making the posters."

"It sounds like we've got everything sorted," I said. "Mark and I will do the research and write up the script. And Luke and Daniel can make up the posters."

"Okay, everyone!" Mr Davies called. "Time's up! Back to your seats now, please."

...

By Thursday, I'd fully settled into my new class. Mr Davies was a kind, but fair teacher, and he ensured that I was kept occupied in the classroom. Obviously, he'd been warned that I was easily bored, so sometimes he'd deliberately keep some extra work ready for me in case I finished an activity before the rest of the class. Often, the extra work would just be a crossword or some other puzzle related to the topic, but they kept me busy for long enough. And, if I didn't finish the extra work in class, I'd finish it for homework even though I didn't need to.

However, I noticed that Mark, Luke and Daniel were beginning to lose interest in our group project. While Mark had managed to get some books from the Newtown library, he hadn't bothered to read them. Instead, he gave them all to me to read, saying that he didn't have the time. Luke and Daniel had also purchased the cardboard to make posters, but they couldn't seem to co-ordinate themselves to put them together. There was always after-school sport, or a family activity going on.

And so, I decided to take everything home on Thursday, and work on the project by myself. After all, we needed to have something to present on Monday, or we'd all fail. And I knew that if I failed, I'd be dropped back into the fourth grade. I wouldn't be able to bear the humiliation if that happened.

I'd been home for about an hour on Thursday afternoon, when the front doorbell rang. I was in the sitting room at the time, gluing some pictures of Colossus onto one of the posters. Mum answered the door.

"Hello, Nurse Jones. I'm Mr Davies. Sam's teacher."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. _Here we go again!_

Mum also groaned. "What's Sam done this time?"

"Nothing bad, I can assure you. I just wanted to discuss his progress with you."

"Please, come in."

I continued cutting out a photocopied picture of Colossus. _Just pretend he's not there..._

"Hello, Sam," Mr Davies said as he and mum entered the sitting room.

 _And that's a lot easier said than done!_ "Hello, sir."

"Please, make yourself comfortable," mum said to Mr Davies. "Would you like some tea?"

"Not right now, thank you." They both sat down.

"So, has Sam been behaving himself?" mum asked.

Mr Davies nodded. "I haven't had any problems with him. That's why I wanted to see you. The other teachers insist that he's a trouble-maker, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. He's engaging with his studies, and going far beyond what's expected of a child his age. His social skills are also quite good. He's already made friends with some of the other boys. And, I can see that he's just as studious at home as he is in the classroom."

"He always has been," mum replied, and she fondly stroked my hair. "Perhaps moving him up a grade was just what he needed."

"Yes. It's still early days though, but so far, it seems to have worked. How's your group project going, Sam?" Mr Davies asked me.

I sighed with frustration. "I'm not sure I'll get it done by Monday, sir. I haven't even started writing the speech yet."

Mr Davies frowned. "Surely that's up to the rest of the group, since you're doing the posters?"

I shook my head. "Mark and I were supposed to be writing the speeches. But Mark and Luke have football training tonight, and Daniel has gone to Cardiff for his cousin's birthday. They don't have the time to help."

"I see. How much work have you done so far?"

I gestured to the posters. "And I've read all the books we got."

"Do you think you could discuss your project off by heart by yourself?"

I looked up at him in surprise. "I... I suppose I could. I know most of the information."

Mr Davies smiled reassuringly. "In that case, I want you to just focus on your part of the assignment. Don't worry about the posters or the scripts for the rest of your group."

"Okay. But...what about the others?"

"Well, if you give your part of the presentation off by heart, they're going to be in a spot of bother, aren't they?" And Mr Davies winked at me.

I smiled. "Thank you, sir. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 6

The following Monday morning, I gave Mark's library books back to him as soon as we entered the classroom.

"So, did you get our project finished, Sam?" Luke asked me.

"Um…"

Luckily, Mr Davies entered the classroom then, so I was spared from lying to my new friends. After the formalities of saying good morning and taking the roll were over, Mr Davies called on the first group to make their presentation.

My group was the fourth to present their project to the class. My friends helped me put up the posters against the blackboard.

"Where's our script, Sam?" Luke whispered.

"What script?"

My friends glanced anxiously at each other.

"Our scripts for the presentation," Mark said. "I thought you said you'd done them?"

"I didn't!"

"Are you ready to begin?" Mr Davies asked.

"Yes, sir," I replied. Then, I turned to face the class. "Good morning Mr Davies and fellow classmates. Today, we will be presenting the findings of our research on one of the Seven Wonders of the World; the Colossus of Rhodes. I will start off by discussing what the Colossus looked like. Mark will then explain why the Colossus was built. Then Luke will discuss how it was destroyed. And Daniel will conclude our presentation by explaining the reasons why historians can't agree on the posture or location of Colossus."

I saw Mr Davies smile and nod reassuringly at me. Behind me, I could hear my friends panicked whispering. I decided to continue before they could gather their wits.

"The Colossus of Rhodes was a bronze statue that stood one hundred and eight foot high. It stood on a marble plinth that was forty-nine feet high, and fifty-nine feet wide. The size is comparable to the Statue of Liberty in New York. It was actually a sculpture of the Grecian god of the sun, Helios. While it is generally believed to have straddled the harbour entrance, modern engineers don't think this is possible, because it would've collapsed in on itself. Construction began in the year 292B.C. The construction took twelve years to complete, at a cost of about three hundred talents. At the time, Colossus was the largest free-standing sculpture in the world."

I took a step back. Mark looked at me, panicked.

"Sam? Where's my script?" He didn't bother whispering this time.

I looked at Mr Davies for help. He cleared his throat. "Who was supposed to write the script?"

Mark and I held up our hands.

"Sam, you've obviously done your research, since you know the facts off by heart. Mark? Why didn't you help Sam write the script?"

"I…um… I was busy, sir."

"I see. Return to your seats, please boys. I want to see all of you when the bell goes for morning recess. And that includes you, Sam."

"Yes, sir." I gathered up the posters before returning to my seat.

…

When the bell rang for recess, Mr Davies let everyone go except for Mark, Luke, Daniel and myself. He waited until we were alone before he spoke.

"I'm very disappointed in you boys. What happened?"

"I had football practice all week for a match we played over the weekend," Mark replied.

"Me too," Luke added.

Mr Davies shook his head. "I'm sorry, boys, but your schoolwork is far more important than football. You need to learn how to prioritise your time, and work together as a team. That didn't happen, and in the end, Sam was left to complete the entire project all by himself. That's not fair to him. Not only did you let yourselves down, but you also let Sam down. I'm afraid I'm going to have to fail you three for this assignment. And as a further punishment, you will stay in every lunchtime until you've written a thousand lines."

Daniel gasped. "A thousand lines, sir?"

Mr Davies nodded. "And you will number each one to ensure that you've done them all. As for you, Sam, I'm going to give you a B-minus for this assignment. Your speech was clear and concise, but it needed more content. It's obvious to me that you have good leadership skills, but that doesn't mean you undertake all of the work yourself. Do you understand?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir. Do I need to stay in to do the lines as well?"

"No. But I hope you've all learned a very important lesson in teamwork."

We all nodded sadly.

"Okay. You can go to recess now."

"Thank you, sir," I muttered on our way out.

Out in the school yard, Mark, Luke and Daniel gathered around me.

"We're really sorry we let you do all the work, Sam," Luke apologised.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Mr Davies is right. We weren't being fair."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. I know you guys had other things on. But let's be a team from now on."

"Of course!" my friends agreed in unison. And we hit a round of high-fives.

…

"Mum!" I shouted when Charlie and I returned home from school three days later.

"I'm in the clinic!" mum shouted back in reply.

Charlie ran upstairs to start his homework. I entered the examination room to find mum unpacking a box of medical supplies.

"How was school today?" mum asked.

"It was okay. Uh, Mr Davies gave these letters to us to give to our parents." And I handed over the sheet of paper. It had crumpled slightly in my satchel, but mum didn't seem to mind. She frowned as she read the letter.

"Hmm…"

"Is something wrong, mum?"

"Not really. It seems that there's been a chickenpox outbreak at your school."

 _Oh! Well, that explains why some of the kids weren't at school today._ "Does that mean I'll have to stay at home for a few days?"

Mum chuckled. "Nice try, Sam."

 _Huh?_ "You mean, I have to keep going to school?"

"Exactly."

"But… I don't want to get sick!"

"I know. But _I_ want you to."

I was confused. "Why?"

"Because chickenpox isn't bad if you have it when you're a child. It's a whole lot worse if you get it as an adult. So, I want you to have chickenpox now, before you get too much older."

I scowled. "What about Charlie?"

"Charlie had it when he was two. He won't ever get it again."

I sighed submissively. "Okay. But I hate getting sick. That cold I had last winter was awful."

Mum smiled, and she gave me a quick hug. "I know you don't like being sick, but it's important for you to get chickenpox now. You will keep on going to school until you get it. Now, do you have any homework?"

"A bit, but it won't take me long to do."

"Good. You can help me roll up those bandages then."

I smiled. Mum would give me an extra penny in my weekly pocket money for every bandage that I rolled. It was part of the extra chores Charlie and I could do for extra money. There was a whole washing basket filled with freshly washed bandages ready to be rolled. After I'd set down my satchel, I washed my hands, and set to work.

I'd rolled about half of the bandages when dad and granddad came home for dinner. Mum counted up the bandages I'd rolled.

"Nine. Thank you, Sam. Here's nine pence. Come and have dinner now. You can do your homework before you go to bed."

"Yes, mum."

…

Mark and Luke weren't at school the following day, which was Friday. In fact, quite a number of students weren't. There were only fourteen students in my class that day. I guessed that they were either sick, or their parents had decided to keep them at home. I asked Daniel about it during recess.

"A yw Luke a Mark sâl?"

"Ie, Luke yw. Ond nid yw rhieni Mark ddim eisiau iddo gael brech yr ieir."

 _Drat it! That means I've probably been exposed to the chickenpox already._ "Mae'n debyg mae hynny'n golygu byddaf yn ôl pob tebyg yn mynd yn sâl hefyd. Beth amdanoch chi?"

"Cefais ei fod dair blynedd yn ôl. Nid wyf yn gallu ei gael eto."

 _I wish I could be so lucky. Oh well. I suppose once I've had it, I'll be immune too._

The bell rang then, so we quickly headed back to class.

…

When Charlie and I got home from school that day, I found mum waiting for me.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" she asked.

I groaned with annoyance. "I'm fine, mum. Mr Davies decided not to give us any homework today, because so many kids are sick. Oh, and I scored three goals in football at lunchtime."

Mum sighed. "Okay. Off you go and play then. Be back by tea time."

"Thanks, mum!" I tossed my satchel over to mum. Then, I grabbed my skateboard, and I took off.

I skated as fast as I could down the road towards Pontypandy. The cool ocean breeze whipped around my face, but I hardly noticed it. _If I'm going to get sick soon, I might as well enjoy myself now._

A few minutes later, I stopped in the High Street, just outside the supermarket. Inside, the supermarket's owner, Mrs Sanderson, was chatting with our elderly neighbour, Mr Johnstone. They broke off their conversation when they saw me.

"Oh, hello, Sam," Mrs Sanderson said. "Where's Charlie?"

"Doing his homework. Hello, Mr Johnstone."

"Sam. I heard that you've been staying out of trouble recently. Have you run out of tricks?"

"Nope! I'm just waiting for Halloween."

Mrs Sanderson chuckled. "Ever the prankster! What can I get for you today, Sam?"

"Can I have tuppence worth of sherbet lemons, please? Oh, and a couple of pineapple chunks?"

"Of course! Did you do some extra chores for your mum?"

"Yup! Please, don't tell her that I'm spending the money on lollies! She'll kill me! And then she'll drag me off to the dentist again..."

Mrs Sanderson and Mr Johnstone laughed heartily.

"The youth of today!" Mr Johnstone remarked.

Mrs Sanderson put my treats into a couple of paper bags. I handed over the money as I took them from her.

"I'll tell you what," Mrs Sanderson said kindly. "Since it's the end of summer, you may have an ice lolly on the house. I'd rather see you kids enjoying them, because I won't be ordering any more until after winter."

"Oh! Thank you so much, Mrs Sanderson!" _Well, that's just made my day!_

I left the shop a few minutes later, happily licking a strawberry ice lolly.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 7

"Sam? Rise and shine! It's Saturday, and I want to go fishing."

I didn't respond. Even though I'd gone to bed at my usual bedtime the night before, I was still feeling rather tired. My throat was also a little sore. Charlie shook me gently.

"Sam? Wakey-wakey!"

Groaning, I pulled my blankets tighter around myself. "Ewch i ffwrdd, Charlie!"

Charlie went over to the doorway. "Mum! Sam's sick!"

I reluctantly sat up. "No, I'm not, Charlie! For the second time, leave me alone! I shouldn't need to spell it out in more than one language…"

Mum entered the room. "Stop shouting, boys! Charlie, go downstairs, please."

After Charlie had gone, mum came over to me. She smiled a little when she saw me. "Looks like you've finally caught chickenpox."

"Huh?"

Mum handed me a small mirror. I gasped when I saw that my face was covered in tiny red blisters.

"Oh, no!"

"It's okay, Sam," mum soothed. "Those spots will go away in about a week."

"A week?" I lay back down on my pillow, exhausted.

Mum gently patted my shoulder. "Does your throat feel sore?"

I nodded.

"Let me have a look. Open up."

I opened my mouth wide enough for mum to have a good look at my throat. "Will I live?"

Mum smiled. "Yes. Stay there. I'll be back in a minute."

 _I don't feel like going anywhere, anyway._

I'd almost fallen asleep by the time mum returned. She didn't try to wake me. Instead, she picked up one of my hands, and I felt her starting to cut my fingernails quite short. Curious, I opened my eyes.

"What are you doing, mum?"

"Those blisters are going to start itching very soon, but you mustn't scratch them," mum explained. "You won't be able to scratch them if you don't have any nails."

"That feels weird."

"I know. You'll soon get used to it. And they'll grow back quickly."

With a heavy sigh, I closed my eyes. Mum finished cutting my nails, and then she left, closing the bedroom door behind her.

I awoke a few hours later with a raging thirst. My blisters had also started to itch, so I tried to scratch them. However, my short nails were completely useless. "Mum!" I shouted as loudly as I could. My throat was still sore.

Charlie entered my room. "Mum's busy with a patient. What do you want?"

"A drink, please Charlie."

"Okay. I'll be back in a minute. What drink do you want?"

"Water."

Charlie left. I continued trying to scratch my blisters. I ended up rubbing them instead.

"You mustn't scratch those, Sam," Charlie said when he returned with my water.

I drank some of the water before I responded. "They're so itchy though!"

"I'll go and see if mum has anything for you."

Mum and Charlie returned a few minutes later. Mum sat down on the edge of my bed, and she placed a hand on my forehead.

"At least you're not feverish. Here. I have some cream that will help stop the itch."

Mum began applying the cream liberally all over my body. It took a few minutes, but the itch started to ease at last.

"There now," mum said once she'd finished. "Does that feel better now?"

I nodded. "Diolch."

Mum smiled, and she kissed my forehead. "Would you like something to eat?"

I shook my head. Then, I settled back down to sleep. I heard mum and Charlie head over to the doorway.

"Sam will be okay, won't he, mum?" Charlie asked anxiously.

"Of course! He just needs to rest."

"But he hasn't eaten a thing all day!"

"Don't worry about him. Most people don't feel like eating when they're sick. It's perfectly normal. Just leave him alone for now. He might feel hungry later."

I didn't even hear mum close the bedroom door.

…

I slept for most of the day. Granddad woke me just before tea time.

"Sam? It's time to wake up, sleepy-head," he called gently when he touched my shoulder. I sat up with a low groan. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit better, I suppose," I muttered. "My throat's still sore though."

"Yes, your mum thought that might be the case, so she prepared this for you." And granddad placed a tray down across my lap. On it, was a steaming hot bowl of mum's homemade chicken soup, and a cup of jelly.

I licked my lips hungrily. Mum never let us have jelly unless we were sick, and her chicken soup was legendary. I picked up the spoon, and I began to eat the soup. Granddad smiled.

"Charlie was really worried because you weren't eating."

"I wasn't hungry until now," I explained between mouthfuls.

Granddad perched himself on the end of my bed while he watched me eat. "When you're feeling better in a few days, would you like to come out fishing with me?"

"Won't I have to go back to school?"

"Not until those spots disappear. You'll be contagious until they become scabs. I had chickenpox when I was about your age, so I won't ever get it again."

"So everyone keeps saying…" I sighed. "I wouldn't mind going fishing with you… But I'd rather go and explore Pontypandy Mountain again."

Granddad facepalmed himself. "No, Sam! The last time you did that, you got stuck on that ledge, remember?"

"I wasn't stuck! I was just having a rest. I could've climbed down…"

"It was a twenty-foot drop!"

I pouted. "Okay, so I got into trouble once. But I want to see what's on the eastern side."

"Not while you're recovering. And I mean that, Sam."

I exhaled deeply. "Okay, okay! Hey, could you tell me a story, please granddad?"

"Sure. Which one?"

"Tell me about the time our family helped defend Pontypandy Castle against the English invasion during the Welsh War of Independence. O, ac mae'n rhaid i chi roi gwybod i mi yn y Gymraeg!"

Granddad chuckled. "Iawn. Tua phedwar cant o flynyddoedd yn ôl, mae ein hynafiaid daeth mor ddiflas â rheol Saesneg, eu bod wedi penderfynu i ymladd yn ôl..."

…

By Wednesday morning, I was feeling much better and rather restless. I still had the spots, but at least they weren't as itchy as they had been. My sore throat had also gone away. While it wasn't raining, it was a rather dismal day. I joined the rest of the family downstairs for breakfast.

"What are you two planning to do today?" mum asked dad and granddad after Charlie had gone off to school.

"Well, since the sea is too rough for fishing, we thought we'd go and help farmer Joe bring his sheep down from the high pastures," dad replied. "He's been asking for some help. Sam can come too, if he likes."

"Really? Thanks, dad!"

"Well, it'll keep him out of mischief, if nothing else," mum said in agreement.

Before long, dad, granddad and I met up with farmer Joe at a gate on the Newtown Road. "I heard on the weather forecast that it's going to get foggy later," farmer Joe explained. "So, we need to ensure we all stay together. We don't want anyone to get lost. Right, let's go!"

"Wait!" I said. The adults looked at me. "Um, don't you need a sheepdog to herd the sheep?"

Farmer Joe smiled. "Nope! My sheep know me very well. We'll easily be able to herd them into the home pasture between the four of us."

I was confused. _How on earth can anyone herd sheep without a sheepdog? Oh well. I guess I'll find out._

It took us over an hour to walk up to the high pastures. However, the fog had rolled in by then, and we couldn't see them. In fact, the fog became so thick, we could hardly see each other. I didn't mind. I was used to finding my way in the fog. Charlie and I had learned how to use our other senses to figure out exactly where we were.

But the high pastures were not an area I'd spent much time in. I tried to keep up with the adults, but due to my recent illness, I soon fell behind. I was just about to start shouting for them, when I saw something strange appear out of the fog in front of me. Curious, I walked closer to it.

Seconds later, the fog thinned a little, and I found myself standing outside an ancient stone circle.

"Oh, wow!" I breathed, completely amazed. _I had no idea there were any stone circles near Pontypandy._ I was just about to step inside the stone circle to take a closer look, when someone grabbed me by my shirt collar, and they yanked me backwards. A strangled scream escaped from my lips. The person spun me around to face them. "Granddad?" I squeaked.

"Oh, thank goodness I managed to stop you in time!" granddad gasped. "Come away from there…"

"Why?"

Once granddad was what he considered to be a safe distance away from the stone circle, he sat down on a log. Then, he pulled me onto his lap.

"Sam, you must NEVER go inside a stone circle."

"Why not, granddad?"

Granddad sighed before he continued. "Because that is a burial mound for an ancient Celtic warrior. The stones mark the perimeter of his tomb. If you go inside them, you'll wake his spirit, and then he'll haunt you until you die."

I buried my head against granddad's chest. "I'm sorry, granddad! I didn't know."

"Well, you do now. Let's get out of here. We need to find those sheep."

We started walking away from the stone circle. "Granddad? Are we really descended from the Celts?"

"Of course! Our family can trace it history back beyond the reign of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the first and only true King of Wales."

I was surprised to hear that. "So, we're descended from royalty?"

"You could say that. But you must be careful who you tell."

"Why?"

"Because not everyone you meet will respect our heritage. There are some people out there who believe that Wales and England should be the same country. They may not appreciate knowing that you are of royal Celtic descent."

I still didn't fully understand, but I knew that if granddad wanted me to keep something secret, he had a good reason for it.

We heard a whistle coming from our right. "Dad! Sam!" I heard my dad call. "We've found them!"

"Coming!" granddad called back. He smiled down at me. "Beth am fynd a'u helpu i talgrynnu i fyny y defaid."

To my amazement, farmer Joe was able to herd the sheep using only whistles to control them. Some of them were a little stubborn, so that's when dad, granddad and I helped. Before long, we'd managed to safely corral them into the home pasture.

"Farmer Joe?" I said while he ensured that the gate was latched properly.

"Yes, Sam?"

"How did you get the sheep to come to your whistle?"

"I've trained them that way. You see, the sheep know me as their friend, so they respond whenever they hear me whistle. If you ever make close friends with sheep, you can use whistles to get them to do whatever you want. Especially if the sheep have been in close contact with humans from the moment they're born. They become like puppies. It's a real art though, and it only works with small herds like this one."

"Can I try?"

"Sure. Do you know how to whistle?"

I nodded. "Granddad taught me." I climbed halfway up the gate. Once I had my balance, I put my thumb and middle finger in my mouth, and I whistled as loudly as I could. Within seconds, I had all of the sheep trotting towards me. "Uh, oh!"

"Whistle again in a slightly lower tone, and they'll stop," farmer Joe instructed.

I did so, and the sheep stopped where they were.

"Wow! That's amazing!" I gushed. I jumped down from the gate. "Thanks for showing me how to do that, farmer Joe!"

"No worries, Sam. You never know when little tricks like that could come in handy."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 8

It was another week before my chickenpox spots had disappeared completely, but once they had, I was allowed to return to school. Unfortunately, I found that I had a lot to catch up on. At least I wasn't the only one who'd fallen behind. Out of all the students in my class, I was the last of those who'd been ill to return to school.

The morning I returned to school, Mr Davies made an important announcement. "Since most of you have been sick recently, I'm going to be contacting each of your parents, so we can discuss the best method to catch you up. For some of you, that might mean taking home extra homework, but for others it could mean staying back for extra lesson time after school."

I sighed, knowing that my parents would opt for me to take home extra homework.

Mr Davies continued speaking. "Now, take out your history books, please. Who can remember what we've been studying recently? Yes, Daniel?"

"The Norman Conquest."

"That's correct. Laura? What was the Norman Conquest about?"

"The Norman invasion of England."

"Excellent. Sam? Without looking at your book, do you know who was ruling England at the time of the Norman invasion?"

I hesitated. I knew that no answer was far better than giving a wrong answer. "No, sir."

Mr Davies smiled kindly. "That's okay. What about you, Amanda? Do you know?'

"Was it King Harold, sir?"

"Yes. He was also known as Harold Godwinson. Does anyone know what year the Norman Conquest occurred?"

Luke put up his hand. "1066, sir."

"Very good. Now, I'd like you all to open up your books to page twenty-six. And I'd like Allison to read the first paragraph for us, please."

I tried to pay attention to the reading, but because I had no interest in English history, I quickly became bored. And so, I started to make a paper aeroplane out of a scrap piece of paper from my writing book. I was just about to throw it, when Mr Davies snatched it out of my hands.

"That's enough of that, thank you, Sam. Now, read paragraph six for us, please."

With a heavy sigh, I scanned my book for paragraph six, and I started to read aloud. However, as soon as I'd finished, Mr Davies asked someone else to read, and so I quickly became bored again. This time, I folded my arms across my desk, and I lay my head down on top of them for a nap.

Mr Davies gently shook me awake a few minutes later. "Sam? You're not still sick, are you?"

"No, sir," I muttered. "I'm just bored." Since Mr Davies often went out of his way to help me, I wasn't afraid to admit to him when I was bored. Mr Davies frowned.

"You should be paying attention, since you've obviously never studied this subject," he admonished.

"But why can't we learn Welsh history instead of English history?" I protested.

"Because you can't, that's why. I decide what the lessons are going to be, not you. Everyone, take out your writing books, and write the numbers one to ten down the page. I'm going to give you a quick quiz on what we've just read."

I bit my bottom lip nervously. _Drat it! If I'd known we'd be getting quizzed on this, I would've listened at the very least._

"First question. What was the date of the Norman Conquest?"

I hadn't heard the exact date, so I just wrote down the year, '1066'. _I know I'm going to fail this…_

…

By recess, I was feeling rather despondent. I had failed the quiz by two marks, and I knew that Mr Davies wasn't pleased with my efforts; or rather the lack thereof. _Well, if I get put back down into the fourth grade, I only have myself to blame._

"It's not the end of the world, Sam," Luke said, trying to comfort me.

"Yeah, it was only one little quiz," Mark agreed.

"You don't understand! If my grades slip, I'll get put back down a grade. I'll be totally humiliated if that happens."

"Mr Davies won't be concerned about a little in-class quiz," Daniel pointed out. "It's your work overall that he's concerned about."

"I think you're over-reacting," Mark added. "Don't stress about it. You'll do better next time."

"I sure hope so," I muttered.

At that moment, a little girl's angry voice caught my attention. Turning, I saw two third-grade boys standing over a girl with long blonde hair. She appeared to be a little younger than them; most likely in the second grade.

"I said, leave me alone!" the girl exclaimed with frustration.

"Not until you give us your lunch money!" one of the boys retorted. He made a lunge for the girl's purse, which she was clutching in her hands.

The girl screamed as she desperately tried to cling onto her purse. The other boy pushed her roughly into a mud puddle on the ground, while the first boy ripped the purse out of her hands. Sobbing, the girl started to get up. The whole front of her dress was covered in mud, along with her face.

Both boys laughed cruelly. Then, the boy who'd pushed the girl seized her by her hair. He yanked it hard, dragging the girl to her feet. The poor girl screamed in agony.

"Oh, look! I've found a penny!*" the boy teased.

A deep rage had been slowly building inside me as I watched the exchange take place. "Hey!" I blurted out. I ran over to the bullies, vaulting neatly over a bench in the process. Then, I placed myself between the girl and the bully holding her purse. "Leave her alone!"

The boy seemed a little taken aback. Then he sneered. "And who's going to make me, shrimp?"

My friends gathered around behind me. "It's four against two," I pointed out. Then, I held out my hand for the girl's purse. Begrudgingly, the boy placed it in my hand. I nodded once. "If I ever catch you picking on anyone again, you're going to regret it."

The bully sneered again. "Yeah, right! What could you do?"

Before he could draw his next breath, I socked him in the jaw with my fist. The force knocked him clean off his feet, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked. My friends sniggered behind me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the other bully run away towards the oval.

The first bully staggered to his feet, clutching his jaw. "I'm going to tell the teacher on you!"

I smirked. "I don't think you will. There are five witnesses, and you'll be the one who ends up being caned by the principal, not me."

The boy's eyes widened when he realised that I was right. Whimpering, he slunk away. I breathed a sigh of relief. _Serves him right…_

I turned to help the girl. Daniel and Luke had started trying to scrape the mud off her. "Are you okay?" I asked.

The girl nodded despite her tears. "Thanks for your help. And for rescuing my purse. It was my grandmother's. She gave it to me before she died last year. It's all I have left to remember her."

"In that case, I'll hang onto it for you for now. I'm sure you don't want to get mud all over it."

The girl nodded again. "My name's Penny."

"I'm Sam, and these are my friends, Mark, Luke and Daniel. Would you like us to take you to the admin office? I'm sure the nurse will be able to help you wash the mud off, and she might even be able to find some clean clothes for you."

Penny smiled. "Thanks. Oh! Your hand is bleeding!"

I looked at my right hand. Sure enough, blood was dripping from my knuckles. _Wow! I must've punched that kid harder than I thought!_ Bending down, I wiped my hand on the grass. "It's nothing. Let's get you sorted out."

We'd just reached the admin office when the bell rang to end recess. By chance, Mr Davies walked past us while we stood waiting at the reception desk. He said nothing, but I could see from his expression that he'd guessed what had happened.

Once the school nurse had come to take care of Penny, I gave her Penny's purse to look after until Penny had been cleaned up. Then, my friends and I returned to our classroom. My hand had stopped bleeding by then, so I rinsed the dried blood off under a bubbler on our way back to the classroom.

"Sorry we're late back, sir," I apologised when we entered the classroom.

"That's okay, boys. I could see that you were helping that poor girl. Now, please sit down, and take out your science books."

…

Surprisingly, mum didn't even notice my cut knuckles until dinner time that evening. Charlie and I had just sat down at the table, when she saw the scabs.

"Sam! What on earth happened to your knuckles?"

I self-consciously hid my hand under the table. "Nothing, mum."

Mum grabbed hold of my hand, and she looked at it closely. "That's hardly nothing, Sam! You punched someone, didn't you?"

"He deserved it! He was bullying a girl and trying to steal her purse. I told him that if I caught him doing it again, he'd regret it."

"Then what happened?" Charlie asked.

"He called me a shrimp, so I punched him."

Granddad started applauding, which earned him a furious glare from mum. He ignored her. "Well done, Sam! It takes courage to stand up to bullies. You did the right thing."

"The right thing?" mum exclaimed. "He could've been seriously hurt! What if the bully had decided to fight back?"

"I had my friends with me, mum," I pointed out. "And granddad said that all bullies are cowards. They only pick on other people because it makes them feel better about themselves."

Mum cast granddad another furious glare. Granddad promptly held his evening newspaper up in front of his face.

"Tomos. I'm not happy about this," mum said. "I don't want my sons fighting."

"I'd hardly consider a punch fighting," dad interjected. "I hope you did it properly, Sam, just like I showed you."

"David!"

 _Uh, oh! Adult fight brewing…_ I glanced at Charlie. Judging by his expression, we were both thinking the same thing.

Within a minute, mum, dad and granddad had started their verbal argument. Not wanting to get caught up in it, Charlie and I picked up our dinner plates, and then we snuck outside to eat our dinner down on the beach.

It was a pleasant evening. The water was calm, and a light breeze was blowing. There was also a full moon that night, so we didn't need our torches. Charlie and I sat down in the sand, and we started eating.

"So, you fought off a bully?" Charlie began.

I nodded. "I probably didn't need to punch that boy, but he was asking for it. I hope Penny's okay now. How are things going for you at the Grammar school?"

"Not bad. I like my teacher, and I've made some new friends. By the way, what do you think of Bronwyn?"

I shrugged. "She's okay, I guess. Why?"

"Don't you think she's pretty?"

I nearly choked on my food. Charlie gave me a few slaps on my back until I'd stopped spluttering. "Pretty? Charlie! You're not falling in love with her, are you?"

"Why not? I'm almost thirteen. I'm old enough to start dating!"

"Ew! That's it! I'm going back inside!"

However, when I returned to the house, I found that the adults still arguing over the best parenting method. Sighing, I put my half-finished plate of food in the kitchen. Then, I pulled on a light jacket and I grabbed a torch.

 _I think I'll go for a walk. It's a nice night, and I don't have to go too far. The wishing well should be far enough. Hopefully, by the time I get back, they'll have finished arguing, and Charlie will have stopped being so soppy._

Once I was back outside, I turned on my torch, and I set off walking down the Newtown Road.

 *** Thank you, Hosty McGhosty, for letting me include that pun in my story.**

 **Guest: Thank you for your kind words, Sam. I have been doing quite a bit of research into Welsh history and mythology, so I thought it would be interesting to include some in this story. If you thought the stone circle was creepy, you're going to really get spooked in the next chapter!**

 **I actually included 3 references in that last chapter, and yes, they were all intentional. Sam getting stuck on a ledge was really just my way of showing that, as a child, he was adventurous and mischievous, which sometimes landed him in a spot of bother. As for the reference to 'Sheep on the Road', I figured that Sam must've learned that trick when he was a boy, long before he became a fireman. Finally, the stone circle appeared only once in the TV series, in the episode 'Deep Water'.**

 **The chickenpox vaccine didn't become readily used by doctors until 1984. Since this story is currently set in 1977, the vaccine simply wasn't available. Back then, parents would do everything they could to ensure their children caught chickenpox. It was considered the best method of inoculating people against it.**

 **I'm sorry you've been so sick. It's never fun. I hope you feel better soon. Good luck with your story ideas! Looking forward to reading them. And I'm now writing updates whenever I feel inspired to write them, rather than rushing them. So, I'm feeling much calmer and in control now.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 9

 _It's at times like this when I wish I could have a guard dog,_ I thought as I walked along the Newtown Road in the dark. _Ah! There's the wishing well._

After I'd climbed over the stile, I wandered over to the wishing well, which was just off the side of the road. By the light of my torch, I peered down into the well. I could see a pile of pennies at the bottom, but it also looked rather damp.

 _Oh well. I guess it's time for me to head on home. I hope mum, dad and granddad have finished arguing by the time I get back._

At that moment, I heard something rustling a bush nearby. Curious, I aimed my torchlight at the bush. _It's bound to be a fox or a feral cat. There aren't any carnivores bigger than that in this part of Wales._

I heard a low growl coming from the bush. It didn't sound like any animal I'd ever seen around Pontypandy.

 _That sounds like a…_

Something dark and hairy leapt out of the bush. Startled, I gasped, and I fell over backwards, dropping my torch. It landed on a rock. The light instantly went out.

 _Oh no!_ I tried to keep my panicked breathing under control. Looking around in the moonlight, I couldn't see the animal, but I was sure it had been a wolf. _That's impossible,_ I thought as I scrambled to my feet. _There aren't any wolves around here. Unless one escaped from a zoo…_

I heard a strange 'hissing' sound off to my left. Turning, I saw a small white light floating in mid-air over near the well.

 _That's strange._ I stepped closer to the light, but it vanished into thin air. Seconds later, it appeared again on the other side of the well. I backed away. _I don't like this…_ I could feel my fight or flight instinct starting to take over my senses.

A brilliant white light lit up the area behind me. Turning slowly, I saw a grotesque human figure holding one of the little globes of light in its hands. The figure had sunken eyes, wrinkled features, and only two visible teeth. A hooded cloak covered the rest of it, including its hair. The overall appearance resembled that of a hag.

For a moment, I stood as frozen as ice. In fact, I was too terrified to even breathe. The creature held the ball of light out towards me, and it started to cackle.

The strangled cry that escaped from my lips did not sound human. The creature continued to laugh. I finally gathered myself together, and I started to run. However, I'd been blinded by the bright lights, and now I was unable to see anything in the dark, despite the full moon. Seconds later, I ran straight into the stile, splintering one of the wooden boards. I was so terrified that I barely even noticed what I'd done. Instead, I scrambled over what remained of the stile in one swift motion. I hit the ground running, not even daring to glance back to see if the creature was following me. I was like a bolting horse; too panicked to care where I was going, and not daring to stop for any reason.

It seemed like an eternity before I burst inside the house. My parents and granddad were still arguing, but they stopped when they heard the backdoor slam closed. I bolted upstairs, taking them two at a time. Unfortunately, I misjudged one of the last ones near the top, and I twisted my left ankle. Ignoring the pain, I ran into my bedroom, and I dived under my bed.

I pulled myself into the foetal position with my back against the wall while I tried to get my breath back. My breath was coming in sobs, and I shivered violently from the fear.

Mum, dad, granddad and Charlie burst into my room.

"Sam?" mum called anxiously.

Dad peeked under my bed. He smiled when he saw me. "Sam? It's okay. Look, sometimes adults fight, but that doesn't mean we don't love each other."

I didn't move. My heart was pounding away in my chest. I was sure everyone could hear it. They could certainly hear my sobbing breaths. Granddad crouched down to see me for himself. He looked at me for a moment, but then he stood up.

"Something's happened to him," I heard him say quietly. "He's so pale, he looks as though he's seen a ghost! This is more than just a child getting upset over a fight. He's genuinely terrified about something."

"Where was he?" dad asked.

"I think he went for a walk," Charlie said. "I don't know where though."

"I'll try and coax him out," granddad decided. "Mary, I think you'd better send for Dr Roberts. We might need him. David, could you please get some warm blankets? And Charlie… Could you please fetch a cup of water, and a straw?"

Everyone left to fetch whatever granddad had requested. Once we were alone, granddad knelt down and he looked at me again. "It's okay, Sam. You can come out now. Nobody's going to hurt you." He reached out towards me.

I was too frightened to move, and I think granddad realised this. After a moment, he grabbed hold of my left ankle, and he dragged me out from under my bed. I cried out in pain because he'd grabbed my sprained ankle, but I let him drag me out. Granddad pulled me into his arms, and he lifted me onto my bed. I clutched onto his shirt with my right hand, refusing to let go.

"Shh… It's okay," granddad soothed. "What happened?"

I couldn't speak. I knew I was safe, but my adrenalin levels were nearly off the scale, and I was ready to run again if I had to. Granddad gently prised my hand away from his shirt.

"Sam? You didn't go near that stone circle again, did you?"

I managed to shake my head. Charlie and dad returned then with the water and blankets. Dad gently wrapped one of the blankets around me. Then, granddad offered me a drink of water. I was quite thirsty, but I found I was too scared to even open my mouth. My jaw had clenched shut.

After granddad had set the cup down on my bedside table, he sat down on the edge of my bed. He gently stroked my hair. "Can you tell us what happened, Sam?"

I tried to speak, but all I could do was whimper pitifully. Mum returned then.

"Dr Roberts wasn't answering his phone, so I paged him. He phoned me, and he's on his way. How's Sam now?"

"Well, he seems to be getting his breath back at last," dad replied. "But he's still too afraid to move."

Mum swapped places with granddad, and she placed her fingers against my neck to feel my pulse. She frowned with concern.

"His pulse is racing! Does anyone know what happened to him?"

"He doesn't seem to be able to talk," granddad explained. "And he won't drink."

At that moment, we heard the sound of an approaching siren. Granddad looked out of the window.

"Do you know where Dr Roberts was when you paged him?" he asked mum.

"No, why?"

"Because I suspect he was at the fire station."

Sure enough, a moment later, Jupiter parked in our driveway. I managed to sit up when I heard mum escorting Dr Roberts, and two others upstairs.

"Just take it easy, Sam," granddad soothed. "Would you like some water now?"

I nodded. Granddad held out the cup of water, and I clamped my lips around the straw. I'd just started sipping on the water when mum entered the room followed by Dr Roberts, Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele.

"Oh, I'm glad to see that Sam's drinking at last," mum said with relief.

Dr Roberts set his Gladstone bag down on my bedside table, and he also felt my neck for my pulse. He looked up at mum. "How long ago did this happen?"

"About ten minutes," mum replied. "He just came bursting inside like the devil was on his tail."

"Well, he should've calmed down by now," Dr Roberts said. "When did you last check his pulse?"

"Just before you arrived. It was racing then."

Dr Roberts frowned. "It's still racing. He's quite pale too. Sam, can you tell us exactly what happened?"

I tried to speak, but my lips wouldn't work.

"Did you see something that frightened you?" dad asked. "Or someone?"

I nodded slightly.

"Perhaps he could draw what he saw?" Charlie suggested.

"Good idea!" Fireman Steele agreed.

Charlie handed over my sketch pad and a pencil. Even though my hands were trembling badly, I managed to draw an image of the figure I'd seen.

"What is that?" mum asked once I'd finished.

"It looks like an old lady," dad said. "Or a hag. But what's that she's holding?"

"Tân tylwyth teg!" I exclaimed as I finally found my voice.

Granddad gasped. "Oh, no!"

"What? What did he see?" mum demanded to know.

Granddad placed a hand protectively on my shoulder. "Sam saw a pwca."

"A what?" Station Officer Boyce asked.

"It's a shape-shifting goblin," granddad explained. "The light it was holding is called 'fairy fire', better known as a 'will-o-the-wisp'. The fairy fire means that there will be a funeral in this area soon."

I must have fainted upon hearing that, because the next thing I knew, Dr Roberts was gently dabbing cold water all over my face.

"That is absolute poppycock!" I heard Fireman Steele say from the doorway. "Pwcas don't exist! They're just myths. I'm sure this must be another one of Sam's practical jokes!"

"If it is, he's doing a very good acting job," Dr Roberts said over his shoulder. "He's worked himself up into a fever, his nerves are in tatters, and he really did faint. I don't believe he's lying about being frightened."

"Well, in that case, he must've seen a wild animal, or a homeless person," Fireman Steele replied. "And to prove it, Station Officer Boyce and I will go and have a look for it ourselves right now. Where did you see this creature, Sam?"

"Near the old wishing well," I whispered. After Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele had gone, I pushed Dr Roberts hands away from my face. "Granddad?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"I'm not going to die, am I?"

"No, Sam. I don't know of anyone who's died after seeing fairy fire. Usually, the person who sees it is the one chosen to warn others of a coming disaster."

"But Fireman Steele didn't believe me!"

"Not everyone believes in our folklore, Sam," granddad soothed. "Your parents don't."

Mum glowered at granddad. "See, this is exactly why I don't want you teaching Sam all those myths and legends, Tomos! Look at what it's done to him!"

Granddad sighed. "Sightings of pwca are rare. I never expected Sam to actually see one."

"BUT HE DIDN'T SEE ONE!" mum shouted.

"You don't know that!" granddad retorted fiercely. "You weren't there!"

That did it. I burst into tears. Dr Roberts stood up.

"All right. That's enough. I want everyone out of here! Now!"

My family reluctantly left my room. Dr Roberts waited until I'd stopped crying before he spoke.

"I don't know what you saw, Sam, but whatever it was, it has upset you badly. I'm going to go and talk to your parents now. Try and rest. I'll be back in a few minutes."

As soon as Dr Roberts had left the room, I sat up. Then, I got up, and I looked out of my bedroom window. I had one of the best views in the entire house. I could see all the way out to the ocean, and off to my left was Pontypandy.

 _I hope Fireman Steele sees the pwca too. Then he'll have to believe me._

Dr Roberts re-entered my room, followed by mum and dad. Dad closed the door behind him. I sat back down on my bed.

"I'm sorry I shouted, Sam," mum apologised. "But you mustn't take your granddad's stories too seriously. Most of them are just made up."

I'd heard enough arguments for one night, so I didn't reply. With a weary sigh, I lay back down on my bed.

"Sam, your parents have given their permission for me to sedate you," Dr Roberts told me. I saw him starting to prepare an injection.

"Why?" I asked in a hoarse whisper.

"You've had a tremendous shock, that's why," Dr Roberts explained. "I'm just going to give you enough sedative to calm you down. It shouldn't make you too drowsy, but don't worry if you start feeling sleepy. Just don't try to fight it."

I reluctantly let Dr Roberts inject me with the sedative. It started to work after a couple of minutes.

"That's better," Dr Roberts said when he saw me starting to relax. He felt my neck for my pulse again. He nodded with satisfaction. "Now, did you injure yourself at all?"

I nodded. "My ankle and my side. I think I ran into something."

"Okay, let's take a look."

Mum helped me take off my shirt. I heard her gasp when she saw my right-hand side. I looked too. It was badly grazed from my collision with the wooden board.

"I'd better put some ice on that to stop it bruising," mum decided. "I'll be back in a minute."

After mum had gone, Dr Roberts gently removed my shoes. "Which ankle hurts?"

"My left one. Ow!"

Dr Roberts carefully moved my ankle around. "It's not broken. Just sprained. Try not to walk on it too much for a day or two. I'll wrap it in a bandage to give it some support."

"Thanks." I closed my eyes. The sedative was working too well. I ended up drifting off to sleep before mum returned. I have a vague memory of flinching when she gently pressed the ice against my side, but then I slipped back into blissful unconsciousness.

 **I just have to say that I gave myself some pretty scary nightmares while I was planning and writing this chapter, lol! I hope you find it as creepy as I envisioned it.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 10

Something gently brushed my cheek. I moaned sleepily.

"Sam?" mum called. "It's time to wake up."

I reluctantly rolled over onto my back, and I opened my eyes. Unsurprisingly, it was morning.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" mum asked kindly.

"Okay, I guess," I muttered. "Still a bit tired though."

"How's your ankle?"

I moved it around a little under the bedcovers. Then I winced. "It's still a bit sore."

"In that case, I want you to stay home from school today. You need to rest after all that excitement you had last night." Mum handed me a glass of orange juice. "And… I'm sorry I shouted at you."

"That's okay." I took a sip from the glass.

Someone knocked on my bedroom door. It was dad, and with him was Fireman Steele.

"How are you feeling this morning, son?" dad asked.

 _I wish everyone would stop asking me that question…_ "I'm okay, dad." I glared at Fireman Steele. _I wonder if he saw the pwca too?_

"Where's Station Officer Boyce?" mum asked.

"He's on holiday for a week, starting this morning," Fireman Steele replied. "And since he's gone to visit his family in Newtown, I'm now in charge of the fire station. I'm sorry to intrude so early in the morning, but I've come to tell you what Station Officer Boyce and I found last night near the well."

I sat up expectantly. Fireman Steele removed something from his pocket, and he handed it to dad. It was my torch.

"Was that all?" dad asked.

"No. We also found that the stile had been broken, so we're sending someone to repair it."

"Nothing else?" I asked in a low whisper.

Fireman Steele glanced at me, and he shook his head. "You must've been dazed by the lights of a passing car, or something."

Disappointed, I slumped back down onto my pillows, and I pulled the covers over me. "Go away," I muttered. I doubted that they would.

Sure enough, they didn't. However, since they thought I was ignoring them, they continued talking as though I wasn't there.

"Do you really believe that it was just a car, Norris?" dad asked.

"I don't know. But I do know that Sam couldn't have seen something that doesn't exist. Perhaps you should have his eyesight tested."

That did it. Enraged, I threw the covers off, and I sat up. "Just because you don't believe in legends, that doesn't mean they don't exist! I know what I saw last night, and nothing you say will change that!"

Concerned by my sudden outburst, mum placed her hands on my shoulders. "Calm down, Sam. You're getting yourself all worked up. Your granddad's stories are just that – stories."

"No, mum. They really happened! I know they did!"

Fireman Steele took a step towards me. "Sam, do you still believe in Santa Claus?"

"No, of course not! But this isn't like that! I saw the fairy fire and the pwca! They exist! You wait and see! Someone is going to die…"

Mum gently felt my forehead. "You're feverish. I think I'd better send for Dr Roberts, so he can sedate you again."

I pushed mum's hands away. "No, mum! Just leave me alone! I want granddad."

"He's out at sea, Sam," dad told me firmly. "So, just stop shouting and settle down!"

With a heavy sigh, I crawled back beneath the bedcovers. A few seconds later, I heard my bedroom door close, followed by the sound of the key being turned in the lock. Since I had nothing better to do now, I tried to go back to sleep.

About an hour later, I heard someone unlock the door. I pretended to be asleep as mum entered the room, followed by Dr Roberts.

"He's asleep," mum whispered. "Honestly, I've never seen him so worked up before, about anything."

I heard Dr Roberts place his bag down on the chair just inside the doorway. "I've been thinking about what happened last night, and I believe I know why he's acting like this, Nurse Jones."

"Why?" mum asked.

"It's a simple diagnosis, and it only has one word. It's called 'childhood'. He's at that age where he's creating fantasy worlds for himself, and that's something that should be encouraged rather than discouraged. It's healthy for his imagination."

"But Charlie never did that."

"Are you sure? Maybe he just didn't tell you about them. Or, it could be that because Charlie's about to enter puberty, Sam is trying to find someone else to share his fantasy worlds with, so he's more vocal about it. And I'm guessing that because you're rejecting his fantasies as make-believe, he feels that you don't love him anymore."

"But…" With a heavy sigh, mum sat down on the edge of my bed. "Honestly, I-I don't know what to do. I just don't understand Sam at all. He's so different from Charlie."

"That's quite normal amongst siblings. Especially now that Charlie's almost a teenager, Sam's bound to start feeling left behind. Now, I'd better take a look at his injuries."

Mum pulled down my blankets, and she lifted up my pyjama shirt so they could look at my side. "The bruising's gone down a little."

Dr Roberts gently felt the bruise. It hurt, so I whimpered.

"I recommend more ice for that bruise," Dr Roberts said. He pulled my left foot out from beneath the blankets, and he started to unwrap the bandage.

The doorbell rang downstairs, so mum went to answer it, leaving me alone with Dr Roberts.

"Okay, Sam. You can cut the pretence now. I know you're awake."

I sat up. "How did you know?"

Dr Roberts smiled. "Just a tip, Sam. Don't try to become an actor when you grow up. Now, how does your ankle feel?"

"It's a bit better. Ow! That hurt."

Dr Roberts began rewrapping my ankle. "Try to keep your weight off it for another day at least."

"Okay. Um, Dr Roberts? Do you believe me about the pwca?"

"Of course."

I was surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. You see, it's quite common for people to see them, even though most people deny they exist. People see ghosts, so I don't see why anyone should disbelieve you when you say you saw a pwca. But don't stress about it. You know what you saw, and that's all that matters. Who cares what other people think?"

I smiled. "Thanks. I feel better about it now."

Dr Roberts finished wrapping my ankle. "I'll go and see your mother now. Hopefully, I won't have to see you again anytime soon."

…

Since I wasn't able to go to school that day, mum did her best to keep me entertained. But because she also had patients to attend to, she helped me downstairs, so I could be in the sitting room where she could keep a close eye on me. After I'd caught up on my homework, I amused myself with dominos and draughts, but I quickly became bored playing by myself.

I was just settling down to have a nap on the floor, when someone entered the house through the backdoor.

"Anyone home?" granddad called.

"I'm in the sitting room, granddad," I said.

Granddad came into the sitting room, and he sat down on the sofa. "How are you feeling now, Sam?"

"Everyone keeps asking me that, and I'm rather tired of hearing it."

"Sorry."

"How was the fishing this morning?"

"Not too bad. It's been better though. Your dad's down at the quayside now, mending the nets. I came back early, because I wanted to be alone to think."

"About what?"

"The family. I'm starting to realise that I'm becoming a bit of a burden on your parents. They clearly don't want me to have any input into how you and Charlie should be raised."

I didn't quite understand, so I waited for him to continue. Granddad looked straight at me. Our eyes met. "Sam. I've decided that it's time for me to leave Pontypandy."

I gasped in shock. "But… You can't! You belong here!"

"I know. But let's face it. You and Charlie are now old enough to take care of yourselves. I don't need to help your parents look after you anymore. It's time I went and did some things for myself, before I get too old to do them. Oh, Sam! Don't look so upset. I will come back. I promise. But right now, I think everyone would be much better off without me around."

"I won't be," I sniffled. "I want you to stay here with me!"

Granddad came over to me, and he hugged me tightly. "I know you do, Sam, which is why this decision has been difficult for me. But I believe it's for the best. I won't go too far. I'm thinking of renting a place somewhere in Cardiff, Newport or Swansea. I haven't quite made up my mind yet though."

Tears were streaming down my cheeks now, and I gripped granddad's neck tightly. "I love you, granddad! Please, don't go! You're the only one who understands me."

"Oh, Sam! That's part of the reason why I have to go. It's time for you to learn how to be independent. You need to know how to look after yourself, because one day, you might find yourself on your own, without any family for support. Now, dry your eyes. Remember, you're a Welsh prince, and I want to see you smiling again before I go."

I let go of granddad, and I wiped the tears from my eyes. "When will you go?"

"Not for at least a month. Now, I've spoken with your dad, and he's agreed that the four of us should go camping this weekend, as a way of saying au revoir."

"Doesn't that mean 'goodbye'?"

"No. Au revoir simply means, 'until we see each other again'."

I smiled. "I like that. But I still don't want you to go."

Granddad hugged me again. "I know. I don't want to go either, but it's for the best. You'll see. Now, tonight after dinner, we can start planning our camping trip together, okay?"

"Okay."

…

A few hours later, after we'd eaten our dinner, I started to feel rather afraid that the pwca might return. I think granddad could sense that, because he placed an arm protectively around me while we sat around the kitchen table to plan our camping trip.

"The first thing we need to decided is where to go," granddad said.

"What about Pontypandy Island?" Charlie suggested eagerly. "Then we can have fish for dinner and breakfast."

"Providing we catch some," I said. I looked up at granddad. "Do you think the pwca will find us on Pontypandy Island?"

Granddad sighed. "Even if it does, it can't hurt you. Not unless you decide to follow it."

"What happens then?" Charlie wondered.

"Pwca will lead people into dangerous situations," granddad explained. "Some people have died that way."

I heard mum slam a stack of plates down in the kitchen. Clearly, she'd overheard our conversation, and she wasn't happy about it.

 _I have to get rid of that pwca, before someone dies. But how?_

Mum emerged from the kitchen, and she tossed a box of matches at dad. He caught them easily. "You forgot to put these away, dear."

Dad placed the box in the middle of the table. "I'll do it later." Mum stormed back into the kitchen. Dad looked at granddad. "You know she doesn't want you telling the boys stories anymore, dad."

"Sam asked me a question, and I answered it," granddad replied simply. He slipped his arm from around me, so he could unfold a map. "Now, I think camping on Pontypandy Island is a great idea. Let's look at the map, so we can see where the best camping spots are."

While the others discussed possible campsites, I stared at the box of matches in front of me.

 _Perfect! Fire always frightens away wild animals, so why not a pwca? There's plenty of wood next to the stove in my bedroom, so maybe if I build a small campfire at the foot of my bed, that'll stop the pwca from coming back. I also need to practice building a campfire anyway._

Seeing that everyone was distracted, I leaned over the table, pretending that I was also looking at the map. With my left hand, I managed to discreetly slip the box of matches into my pocket.

"I'm tired, granddad," I muttered a moment later, feigning sleepiness. "Can I go to bed now?"

"Of course, Sam." Granddad gave me a quick cuddle. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, granddad. 'Night mum and dad."

"Hey!" Charlie protested. "What about me?"

I moved around that table, so I could give him a quick cuddle. Then, I headed towards the stairs, taking care not to make the matches rattle in my pocket.

 **Thank you for your reviews. They're very much appreciated. The fire will take place in the next chapter, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to update, so please don't hassle me about that. I'll do it when I can.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 11

 _There! That should do,_ I thought as I stood back to admire my handiwork. I'd built a nice little campfire on the floor at the base of my bed, and now I was ready to light it. I took a match out of the box, and I struck it. Then, I tossed the lit match into the centre of the woodpile. _Hopefully, this should stop the pwca tonight._ I saw a few sparks, but then the fire appeared to go out. Disappointed, I was about to strike another match, when I heard voices approaching out in the hallway. I quickly covered the wood with some of my dirty clothes before I dived into bed.

After a moment, mum entered my room. "I forgot to look at your ankle."

"It's fine now, mum," I replied.

Mum sat down on the edge of my bed, and she pulled my covers down. "Are you sure?" she asked as she gently lifted my ankle onto her lap.

I nodded. "I can walk on it again now."

Mum unwound the bandage, before she gently manoeuvred my foot in different directions. "Hmm… Well, in that case, you can go back to school tomorrow."

"Okay, mum," I muttered sleepily. Then I yawned.

Mum tucked me in, and she planted a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight, sweetie. I love you."

"Night, mum."

Smiling, mum left my room, turning out the light and closing the door softly behind her. I settled down to sleep.

…

 _Fireman Steele's POV_

It had been a quiet day in Pontypandy, despite the chaotic events of the night before with young Sam Jones. The boy was a pest, that was for sure, but even I had to admit that something strange had happened to him. While I couldn't put it down to myths and legends, I did suspect that he might have seen something that was either natural or supernatural. I'd never seen him so worked up about anything, so there must have been some element of truth to his story. Whatever it was, I was just glad that Lucas and I hadn't found it.

I had just clocked on for the night shift, when I saw Station Officer Boyce's temporary replacement arriving on foot.

"Fireman Briggs reporting for duty from Newtown, sir." And he saluted me.

"Pleasure to meet you, Briggs," I replied. "You can relax. We're only a small country fire station here, so you can drop the formalities."

Briggs visibly relaxed. "Thank you, sir."

I offered him my hand in welcome. "I'm Acting Station Officer Steele. Normally, I'm the Lead Fireman. You'll find Fireman Lucas inside, cooking our dinner. Things are rather quiet around here, so after you've had dinner, you may go upstairs and rest in the dorm."

"Right, thank you, sir."

After we'd eaten, I went into Station Officer Boyce's office to file away some paperwork I'd completed from my last shift. I knew it would take me a few hours to do, but the night shift was a good time to do it. It was quiet, and there wasn't much chance of an emergency. At least I hoped there wouldn't be.

It must've been about 10:30pm by the time I'd finished filing, so I went to join the others upstairs in the dorm. They were already asleep, so I quietly took off my shoes and settled down on my designated bed to sleep.

I felt like I'd only just gone to sleep, when I was awoken abruptly by the alarm going off downstairs. I instinctively leapt out of bed, and I slipped my shoes back on. Lucas and Briggs followed suit, and we skilfully slid down the fireman's pole in an orderly manner. I darted inside the office, where I retrieved the printout from the telefax machine.

"Fire at the Jones' house, Newtown Road!"

We scrambled into Jupiter with Lucas at the wheel. "All present and correct, sir," Lucas said to me.

"Right, let's go."

Briggs activated the siren as Lucas drove Jupiter out of the garage. During our journey to the Jones' house, I mentally prepared myself for what we might expect to find. Smoke alarms weren't compulsory, and I knew that, like most people in Pontypandy, the Jones' didn't have one.

 _I just hope they all managed to get out safely._ "When we get there, Briggs, I want you to keep everyone back, and ensure that everyone is out. Lucas, I want you in BA, and get the hoses ready."

"Understood, sir," both men replied in unison.

I drew in a deep breath when I saw the orange glow on the horizon. When we drew closer, I saw a small crowd gathered out on the road, well away from the burning house. I breathed a small sighed of relief when I recognised David, Mary and Tomos in the crowd. Mary was screaming and crying hysterically.

As soon as Jupiter had come to a stop, Lucas and Briggs leapt into action. I hurried over to the Jones'.

"Is anyone still inside?"

"YES!" Mary screamed frantically. "Sam's still in his room! We couldn't get him out!"

I was already running back to Jupiter to collect my BA equipment. There wasn't a moment to lose. As soon as I'd handed my BA tag over to Briggs, I grabbed a fire extinguisher and I dashed inside the burning building.

Inside, the house was like a furnace. I knew I didn't have much time left to rescue Sam. Luckily, the stairs weren't alight yet, so I ran up them, taking them two at a time. I dowsed the flames in the hallway with the extinguisher, creating a path for me to walk through safely. Sam's bedroom door was closed, so I kicked it in.

I was greeted with a wall of flames and an intense flashover. Ducking, I extinguished the flames with the extinguisher as best I could.

"Sam! Sam, where are you?"

I saw a figure lying motionless on the bed, which amazingly wasn't alight yet. Dropping the extinguisher, I hurried over to the bed. It was Sam, but he didn't respond to my touch. However, I could see that he was still breathing, so I quickly wrapped one of his blankets around him and I lifted him into my arms.

Once we were out in the hallway, I felt Sam start to stir. Tightening my grip, I hurried back down the stairs. Lucas was doing his best to fight the fire and keep the stairs clear enough for me to descend. Just as I reached the bottom step, I heard the timber support beams starting to snap and splinter overhead.

"Evacuate, Lucas!" I shouted urgently. "The ceiling's going to cave it at any moment!"

I ran outside into the fresh air, carrying Sam tightly in my arms. Lucas followed me out, still trying to dowse the fire with water from the hose. We'd just made it outside when the ceiling went, sending a shower of sparks flying in all directions. I sank down on one knee, shielding Sam with as much of my body as I could. I knew my uniform would protect me to some degree from the flames.

When the flames had settled, I turned my attention to Sam. Miraculously, he wasn't burnt at all, but he was completely unresponsive. Knowing that he was suffering from smoke inhalation, I removed my face mask, and I placed it firmly over Sam's small face.

 _Come on, Sam! Please, wake up…_

…

 _Sam's POV_

The first thing I was aware of was the cold. I felt like I was lying out in the middle of a frozen lake.

"Sam! Sam! Is he okay?"

 _Why is mum screaming? And what's on my face?_

"He's going to be fine, Mary. He's not burnt, but he is suffering from smoke inhalation. We need to get him to hospital, fast."

"Yes, of course. Can I use your radio? I'll send of an ambulance."

"It'll take too long to get here. Can someone run to the far house, and phone Dr Roberts? Get him to bring some oxygen canisters with him."

 _I wish everyone would stop yelling so I can sleep…_

"Is he breathing?" I heard Charlie ask anxiously.

"Yes, but he's unconscious," Fireman Steele replied gently. "See if you can get him to wake up."

I felt Charlie take hold of my right hand. "Sam? I know you probably can't hear me, but you need to wake up. Please. Everyone's so worried about you…"

"That's it, Charlie," I heard dad whisper. "You're doing a great job."

I felt a tear land on my hand. _Charlie's crying. Why is he crying?_ I slowly blinked open my eyes, and I looked around. At first, all I could see was a brilliant orange glow. But then, I saw Fireman Steele, Charlie, granddad and dad all staring down at me. They breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Good job, Charlie," granddad praised.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" Fireman Steele asked me kindly. He lifted the mask a couple of inches away from my face so I could answer.

"What happened?" I asked, completely confused.

"The house caught fire," Charlie replied sadly. "We couldn't get you out. Fireman Steele rescued you." Charlie glanced gratefully at Fireman Steele.

 _Fireman Steele rescued me? But why would he after all the practical jokes I've played on him?_ A lone tear slid down my cheek. Charlie saw it, and he wiped it away.

"Please, don't cry, Sam. You're safe now. Fireman Steele said that you need to go to hospital, so mum's phoning Dr Roberts now."

I shook my head. "I don't want to go to hospital. I feel okay."

"Nevertheless, you do need to be checked over," Fireman Steele told me firmly. "You were unconscious for quite some time."

"I fell asleep…" I gasped softly as it suddenly dawned on me what must've happened. _The match! Maybe it didn't go out, and it set fire to my clothes after I fell asleep._ Feeling a sickening pang of guilt in my stomach, I started to cry. _Oh, daro*! What have I done?_

Dad placed a hand on my back as I rolled over onto my left-hand side. That position made me start coughing violently, despite the oxygen I was receiving from the mask. My crying was starting to become hysterical now, as I struggled desperately to breathe between coughs. Fireman Steele rolled me back over onto my back.

"Take it easy, Sam," he soothed. "Just relax and take slow, deep breaths…"

I heard a siren approaching then, and I guessed that it was Dr Roberts. Sure enough, it was. He parked his car as close to me as he could. Mum ran over to us just as he was getting out of the car.

"The fire's spreading to Mr Johnstone's house now!" she exclaimed. She sank to her knees beside me. "How is he?"

"He's awake and talking," Fireman Steele replied.

"Oh, thank goodness!"

"Mr Johnstone told me he was going to stay with his sister for a week in Newtown," dad said. "I believe he left today. It's a shame he's going to return to find that he no longer has a home to return to."

"As long as everyone's made it out alive, that's the main thing," Fireman Steele reminded us. "Now, let's get Sam into Dr Roberts car, so he can get him off to hospital."

"I've already contacted the emergency department," Dr Roberts said as he knelt down beside me. "They're getting ready for him. He'll be given some medication as soon as we arrive, but in the meantime, we need to keep him on oxygen."

The oxygen masks were swapped around. My new one fitted me a lot better, and I found it was a little easier for me to breathe with. I whimpered in protest as Fireman Steele lifted me into his strong arms. Just as he was putting me inside Dr Roberts car, I grabbed hold of his jacket as tightly as I could.

"Sam, you need to let go of Fireman Steele now," mum told me gently as she climbed into the backseat beside me. "We're going to get you to the hospital now, sweetie. They'll be able to give you some medicine so you can breathe on your own again. Keep that mask over your face for now. Good boy."

Fireman Steele gently prised my hand off his jacket. "I'll phone the hospital later for an update." And he closed the car door before I could grab hold of him again.

"Where's Charlie?" I asked.

Mum pulled me closer to herself. "He's staying here with dad. They'll come and visit you later."

Granddad and Dr Roberts got into the front of the car. "I won't put the siren on again until we get to Newtown," Dr Roberts explained as he started up the car. "We need to keep him settled for the journey. If he panics, he could suffer asphyxiation."

"What does that mean, mum?" I asked fearfully.

She hugged me tighter. "It's okay, Sam. Just focus on taking deep breaths. That's it. We'll be there soon."

I tried to concentrate on my breathing, but deep down, I was worried. _What on earth have I done? The house has been destroyed, and now we have nowhere to live! I should've made sure that match was out…_ More tears started streaming down my cheeks. Mum tenderly kissed the top of my head.

"You'll be fine, sweetie. Not long to go now."

"How is he?" granddad asked anxiously.

"I think he's going into shock," mum replied softly.

Dr Roberts kept driving at a steady pace. I closed my eyes, hoping that I would wake up to find that this had all been nothing more than a bad dream.

…

"Sam? Come on, sweetie. Wake up. We're almost at the hospital now."

Whimpering, I slowly blinked open my eyes. The streetlights we passed nearly blinded me, so I squinted.

"Is he awake now?" Dr Roberts asked.

"Yes, but he's still rather drowsy," mum replied. "The sooner he gets that medicine, the better."

"We're almost there." And Dr Roberts activated his siren.

Feeling the car start to slow, I attempted to sit up, but mum held me tight. "Don't move, Sam. You're not wearing a seatbelt."

"I'll park as close to the emergency entrance as I can," Dr Roberts said, and he proceeded to do so. As soon as we'd come to a stop, the siren was cut, and granddad and Dr Roberts got out.

"You attend to Sam," Dr Roberts instructed mum and granddad. "I'll go and inform them that we're here."

Granddad opened to car's back door, and he gently lifted me out. Mum followed, carrying the oxygen canister. I was carried inside the busy emergency department, where we were greeted by a small team of nurses.

"Bring him over here!" one of the nurses called. "We're preparing the medication for him now."

Granddad carried me into a small examination room, and he carefully laid me down on the bed in there. I saw a doctor lean over me while he pulled on a pair of latex gloves.

"I just need to do a quick assessment to establish the severity of his smoke inhalation," the doctor explained to mum and granddad. He removed the stethoscope from around his neck, and he placed the end in his ears. A nurse helped me sit up, so the doctor could listen to my lungs through my back. "Okay, remove the oxygen mask, please. I need to hear how well he's breathing without it."

Mum gently removed the oxygen mask from my face. I immediately started gasping and coughing. The doctor frowned with concern before removing the stethoscope disk from my back.

"How old is he?"

"Eight," granddad replied as I laid down again. I found that I was able to breathe much easier lying down. "He will be okay, won't he?"

"Oh, sure. It's bad, but not life threatening. He'll need to stay here for at least the next five days, for observation. Nurse McGuire? Have you prepped that medication yet?"

The nurse brought over a small canister and another oxygen mask. "Yes, doctor. I've had to guess his weight, so I've given him a little less than what's prescribed, just to be on the safe side."

The doctor nodded his consent for the nurse to proceed. She placed the oxygen mask over my face. Then, she released the valve. I started feeling better almost immediately.

"Are you sure he'll be all right?" granddad asked again.

"I'm positive, sir," the doctor replied patiently. "Children tend to bounce back from these sort of conditions better than adults do. Unless there are complications, I'm willing to bet that he'll be up and running around again by this time next week. Once he's finished inhaling that, we can get him settled in the children's ward."

Mum started crying then. "I don't want to leave him!"

Granddad hugged her. "He'll be all right, Mary," he soothed. "You heard what the doctor said. Sam's strong. He'll make it through this."

I sat up again, and I touched mum's arm. She quickly wiped her tears away, and she bend over so our eyes could meet. "I'm feeling a bit better now, mum," I said, trying to reassure her.

Mum smiled through her tears. "I'm glad. I hope you'll be a good boy for the doctors and nurses, and don't cause any trouble."

With a small gasp, I looked away. I felt sick, knowing that I had most likely caused the fire. _I need to tell her. She'll probably kill me, but at least I'll feel better afterwards…_

The nurse removed the mask from my face. "Say goodbye to him now," she told mum and granddad. "You may visit him again tomorrow during visiting hours. He'll be in the children's ward."

"Thank you," mum whispered. She placed a kiss on my forehead. "We'll be back as soon as we can, Sam."

"Mum…"

"Yes?"

My lips quivered, and I started to shiver. The nurse placed a warm blanket over my shoulders.

"Lie back down, Sam. You need to rest now."

 _But I have to tell her about the fire!_ Exhausted, I did as the nurse instructed. I was too tired to fight anyone. When I looked up again, mum and granddad had gone.

The nurse rubbed some cream on my left forearm. "I'm going to start you on a drip before we move you. The needle will hurt, but that cream will numb your arm enough to stop the worst of the pain."

I just whimpered in response. The doctor fitted a new oxygen mask over my face, and he turned on the air.

"Once Nurse McGuire has fixed up your drip, I want you to try and get some sleep," he told me gently. "You've been very brave, so I'll see to it that you get a special little reward tomorrow."

I gasped when I felt the needle go into my arm. It hurt, but only for a moment. The nurse was still fiddling around with my arm as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

* Welsh, meaning 'damn it!'

 **Thank you so much for your patience, and for not pestering me to update. I can assure you, this chapter would not have been anywhere near as good as I believe it is if I'd been pressured into rushing it. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: All recognisable character belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 12

 _Ring! Ring! Ring!_

I groaned sleepily, trying to ignore the sound of the phone ringing somewhere nearby. Someone finally answered it.

"Newtown Hospital Children's ward, Nurse Baker speaking. Samuel Jones? Yes, he should be well enough for you to visit him today. Are you a friend or family member? Oh, I see. I'll discuss it with his doctor, but I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to visit. Our visiting hours are between ten a.m. and four p.m. All right. Thanks for calling."

 _Did our house really catch fire last night, or did I only dream it?_

Moaning, I reluctantly opened my eyes. Looking around, I realised that what had happened last night hadn't been a dream. Our house had caught fire and I'd very nearly died. The first thing I saw was the white ceiling overhead. Then, I noticed that another boy with blonde hair was standing beside my bed.

"What happened to you?" he asked with a sneer.

Before I could reply, a nurse entered the ward. "What are you doing out of bed, Hamish? Look, we've told you repeatedly to stay in bed. Your stitches will never heal if you don't stay still. Next time I catch you out of bed, I'll have you strapped down."

"I was just checking out the new boy," Hamish said as he begrudgingly climbed back into bed.

"Yes, well, you need to leave him alone. He needs to rest, and so do you."

"I just want to go home."

"That's for the doctor to decide. He might decide to send you home early if you behave yourself. Now, what colour jelly would you like for breakfast?"

"I'm sick of jelly. I want something else."

"I'm afraid you can't have anything else yet."

Hamish exhaled crossly. "Fine! I'll have green jelly."

The nurse came over to me, and she picked up my chart. "How are you feeling this morning, Sam? I heard about what happened to you last night. Sorry."

I just sighed sadly in response. The nurse went through the routine of checking my pulse and temperature. I watched her write down a few things on my chart, before she returned it to its holder at the foot of my bed.

"Your doctor has said you may have whatever you like for breakfast. Here's the menu."

"But that's not fair!" Hamish whined.

The nurse glared sternly at him. "Unlike you, Sam hasn't had surgery. Now, stop complaining and lie still. You're not supposed to be up at all yet."

 _How on earth did I get lumbered in a ward with that brat?_ I thought as I took the menu from the nurse. My nose started to itch then, so I tried to reach under the oxygen mask with my index finger.

"Leave that alone please, Sam," the nurse instructed.

"But my nose is itchy!"

Reluctantly, the nurse helped me remove the mask so I could scratch my nose. "Better now?"

I nodded, and she fitted the mask back into position. Then, I looked at the breakfast menu. "Can I have two pieces of French toast, orange juice and fruit salad, please?"

The nurse nearly laughed. "Well, I'm glad to see that your appetite hasn't been affected. I'll be back in about ten minutes. Stay in bed, Hamish."

I lay quietly after the nurse had gone. There must've been some sort of nurse's station across the hallway from the ward, because I could hear the radio going. Since I had nothing better to do, I focused on listening to it.

 _"…_ _and it is rumoured that Prince Charles does intend to visit Cardiff as part of his royal tour to the south-west early next month. To local news now. We have just received a report of a fire on the outskirts of Pontypandy late last night. The fire began at about eleven p.m. and it quickly spread to a neighbouring property, resulting in both houses being totally destroyed. An eight-year-old boy was rescued by local firefighters from the first house, but sadly the deceased body of an elderly man was found in the adjacent house early this morning. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire…_ "

I immediately felt sick. _Mr Johnstone died? No! He was supposed to be here, in Newtown, with his sister! How could…_ I'd started to hyperventilate, which caused my injured lungs to constrict to the point where I could scarcely breathe. Seeing my distress, Hamish slammed his fist into the red emergency alarm that was sticking out of the wall between our beds.

Within a matter of seconds, a doctor and two nurses had dashed into the ward. "He's having a severe panic attack," one nurse diagnosed.

The doctor turned to the second nurse. "See if you can get him to calm down." Then, he looked at the first nurse. "You might have to get some ice to shock him out of it."

While the first nurse hurried away to fetch some ice, the second nurse helped me sit up. Tears were streaming down my cheeks owing to my distress. The nurse placed an arm around my shoulders. "It's okay. I want you to concentrate on taking some nice deep breaths for me, all right?"

I tried to do what she said, but my mind kept screaming at me. _I'm a murderer! As soon as they find out how the fire started, the police will come and drag me away to prison!_

The first nurse returned then, and she placed an ice pack down on my right hand. The shock from the sudden chill made me gasp, which had the result of opening my throat so I could breathe. I drew in several deep breaths until I had calmed down sufficiently. The doctor gently felt my neck for my pulse.

"Keep a close eye on him, Nurse Greaves," he said to the second nurse. "He should sleep now." The doctor went over to Hamish. "Were you the one who hit the emergency alarm?"

Hamish nodded sheepishly. The doctor smiled, and he patted Hamish on the shoulder.

"Well done. You did the right thing. Would you like some ice cream as a treat?"

"Yes, please!"

I shivered violently. The second nurse covered me with an extra blanket. "Try to get some rest. We can talk about what happened, later."

 _I don't want to talk about it. Ever! Nobody must ever know what I've done…_

…

I was awoken a few hours later when a nurse gently touched my shoulder. "Sam? You have some visitors, and it's time for your next dose of medicine," she told me kindly as I slowly blinked open my eyes. She removed my oxygen mask, just as mum, dad and granddad entered the ward.

I propped myself up on an elbow, which made me start coughing. "Where's Charlie?" I asked between coughs.

"He's at school," dad explained. "He wanted to go."

 _I wish I could be so lucky._ Looking around, I noticed that Hamish wasn't in the ward anymore. "Where's Hamish?"

"He's gone to have another examination," the nurse explained. "Lie back down for me please, Sam." I did so, and she placed another oxygen mask over my face. "Breathe in deeply. That's it… Keep going… And that'll do for now. Good boy. Well done, Sam." She removed the mask. "You didn't have your breakfast before. Would you like it now?"

"Yes, please." I sat up properly this time. Thanks to the medication I'd just inhaled, I didn't start coughing again. The nurse placed a tray of food across my lap. I wasn't really hungry, but with mum standing there watching me, I started to eat anyway. After the nurse had written down something on my chat, she left us alone.

"How have you been, Sam?" mum asked as she sat down on the edge of my bed.

"Sleeping, mostly. Is the house okay?" I asked the question even though I already knew what the answer would be.

"Sadly, it'll have to be demolished, along with the house next door," dad replied. "We're just lucky it was insured."

"So…where will we live?"

"We're staying with the Griffiths until we can buy a new house," mum explained. She stroked my hair fondly. "Guess we'll have to live in the middle of town now."

I sighed despondently. _Great! Now Charlie will be able to get even closer to Bronwyn. They'll probably start kissing…ew!_ Having lost what little appetite I had, I put what was left of my breakfast aside.

"If you're feeling tired, Sam, we can leave you to let you sleep," dad suggested.

"I am a bit," I admitted. "But I was wondering if I could talk to granddad alone?"

Mum and dad exchanged surprised glances. Granddad smiled warmly at me.

"Of course you can!" He looked at my parents. "Close the door behind you, please?"

"But...!" mum started to protest, until dad escorted her out of the ward.

"We'll just be out in the waiting room," dad said.

Once the door had closed, I looked sadly up at granddad. "Mr Johnstone died in the fire, didn't he?"

Granddad was surprised. "How on earth did you find that out?"

"It was on the radio this morning."

"Oh. And I supposed you're upset by that?"

I nodded. "The pwca was right, wasn't she?"

With a heavy sigh, dad sat down on the edge of my bed, right where mum had been. "I suppose she was. But Sam… You need to understand that not everything I tell you is the truth. A lot of the stories I've told you are just that – stories. This is an ancient land, and many incidents have been grossly exaggerated over time."

"But I saw the pwca."

Granddad didn't say anything for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I don't know what you saw the other night, Sam," he finally said quietly.

"What?" I sat up, stunned. "But you… You said you believed me! Mum told you to say this, didn't she?"

"Look, Sam… The truth is…pwcas don't exist. I told you the stories because I wanted you to know them as part of our family's history. But there is no truth to them. I just played along to help you feel better. Now I can see just how wrong that was."

Too shocked to say anything, I slowly lay back down. _He lied to me… He's always been lying to me…_ "Well, did you mean everything else you said then? About me being descended from a Welsh King?"

"Yes, that story is true. I can show you the family tree, if you like."

"I don't know…"

Granddad sighed sadly. "Look, I'm really sorry, Sam. I didn't realise you'd believe those stories. Charlie didn't, and your parents don't either."

 _Then what did I see the other night? It can't be anything other than a pwca. I guess no one will ever believe me now…_

Granddad tenderly ran his fingers through my hair. "Something else is worrying you, isn't it?"

I bit my bottom lip nervously. "Have they found out what caused the fire?"

"No, but they believe it started in your bedroom. Did you put something too close to the heater?"

I shook my head slightly. Then, I couldn't hold my tears back any longer. Granddad pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly.

"Shh… It's okay, Sam. You're safe. That's the main thing."

"But I killed Mr Johnstone!" I blurted out.

Startled, granddad pulled back so he could look me in the face. "What?"

"I tried to light a fire at the foot of my bed to keep the pwca away!" I confessed between sobs. "But the match went out. I heard mum coming, so I covered the wood with clothes, so she wouldn't see it. But the match must've caught alight again, and started the fire." Tears were streaming down my cheeks now. Granddad hugged me tightly again. "I won't have to go to prison, will I?" I asked in a low whisper.

"Oh, Sam! Regardless of what you did, it wasn't your fault. You're just a child, and you're not responsible for your actions yet. If anything, it's our fault for not being more careful with where we left the matches. Who knows? Maybe that match did go out, and the fire was caused by something else in your room? We may never know for sure, but one thing I do know. You won't be sent to prison."

"Promise?" I asked with a sniffle.

"Yes. I promise. I'll only say something if the fire investigators discover the cause. I won't even tell your parents. There's no need for anyone else to know about this. How are you feeling now?"

"Tired," I muttered. My tears had almost dried up by now, and I was feeling mentally exhausted. I had a lot to think about. Granddad helped me lie back down, and he fitted the oxygen mask over my face.

"You get some sleep now. I'll be here when you wake up."

I closed my eyes slowly. Smiling, granddad started to sing a gentle lullaby in Welsh. It was the one he and mum had sung to me when I was a toddler, so I knew it well.

"Huna'n dawel, heno, huna. Huna'n fwyn, y tlws ei lun; Pam yr wyt yn awr yn gwenu, gwenu'n dirion yn dy hun? Ai angylion fry sy'n gwenu, arnat ti yn gwenu'n llon, tithau'n gwenu'n ôl dan huno, huno'n dawel ar fy mron?"

As the singing faded away, I sensed that granddad had gone over to the door. He opened it silently.

"Sam's asleep now," I heard him whisper to mum and dad as they re-entered the ward.

"What did he want to talk to you about?" mum asked.

"The fire. He's rather shaken up by it," granddad replied truthfully.

"In that case, why did he only want to talk to you?"

"Mary, sometimes children are afraid to talk to their parents. Sam wanted a shoulder to cry on, and he obviously felt more comfortable with me."

"But I'm his mother!"

Dad cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should discuss this out in the waiting room, so we don't disturb Sam?"

"You didn't spend seven and a half hours in labour having him!" mum hissed to granddad as the three off them left the ward. I groaned in disbelief after I heard the door close behind them.

 _Did she have to bring that up? Why are mums so embarrassing?_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 13

 _Fireman Steele's POV_

 _Why did I have to get summoned to Newtown today?_ I thought as I drove along the road towards Newtown. _I know we need to discuss the investigation into the fire, but I wish they could've waited until after Boyce got back from his holiday. Oh well. At least I'll get to visit young Sam. I hope he is okay. If I get the opportunity, I need to have a little chat with him about what I saw in his bedroom…_

When I arrived in Newtown, I drove to the fire station. Next door to it was the Newtown Fire Training Academy where I'd trained to become a fireman many years earlier. This was a very familiar stomping ground for me, so it didn't take me long to find the Chief Fire Officer's office. I knocked softly on the closed door.

"Come in."

I entered the office and saluted my boss.

"Take a seat, Fireman Steele," Chief Fire Officer Morgan invited. "I asked you to come here today to discuss the investigation into that horrible fire that occurred in Pontypandy the other night. I've received your statement, and so far, it collaborates with what the investigation team have uncovered."

"Do they any idea about how the fire started?"

"Not yet. They suspect it may have been an electrical fault, but they haven't found anything to confirm it. The fire destroyed pretty much everything in the first house, so I doubt they'll ever find the cause. I hope the family was insured."

"They were," I confirmed. "They're currently staying with some friends. When the insurance money comes through, they'll use it to purchase a new house. Their old one will have to be demolished, along with the neighbour's house."

"Well, I'm just glad the family has been taken care of. Now, I'd also like to inform you that I've decided to award you with a Medal of Outstanding Bravery. The way you rescued that poor boy was truly heroic."

I was stunned. "I… Thank you, sir, but I really don't deserve it. A man died in that fire. I was just lucky I was able to rescue young Sam in time."

"Yes, you were lucky, which is why I'm giving you this medal. You cannot refuse it, of course, even if you feel that you don't deserve it. In the eyes of your superiors, you do deserve it. I'll come to Pontypandy the day after tomorrow to present it to you. The press will be there too, so make sure everything is in order and looking ship-shape."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know how the boy is?"

"His parents have informed me that he's recovering well. I'm going to see him for myself before I return to Pontypandy."

"Very good. You may leave now."

"Thank you, sir." I stood up and saluted him before I left the office. I exhaled deeply in the hallway. Then, I made my way back outside and over to my car.

About ten minutes later, I entered the hospital. The receptionist gave me the directions to the children's ward, and then after I'd identified who I was, a nurse kindly showed me into the room where Sam was recovering. I found him sitting up and playing a game of snap with the other boy in the room. He appeared to be perfectly fine aside from the fact that he was wearing an oxygen mask and he had an I.V. line in his arm. The laughter and friendly childish chatter stopped when the nurse and I entered the room.

"Sam? You have a visitor," the nurse said gently.

Upon seeing me, Sam's demeanour changed. He immediately dropped his gaze and I could see guilt written all over his face, despite the oxygen mask. I nodded slightly. That expression told me exactly what I needed to know.

Sam had started the fire in his room. I'd seen the pile of wood at the foot of his bed when I'd rescued him, and I knew it had been put there deliberately. _He's just a child,_ I quickly reminded myself. _He isn't responsible for his actions, so there's no point in mentioning it to the fire investigators. Nothing will happen to Sam regardless of what the investigators find, so it'll be cruel for me to put him through the pain of being questioned by the fire investigators. I hope he has learned a harsh lesson from this disaster though._

"Hello, Sam," I said kindly. "How are you feeling?"

 _Sam's POV_

I glanced nervously up at Fireman Steele after he spoke. Granddad had said that he wouldn't say anything about my involvement in starting the fire, so I hoped that Fireman Steele didn't suspect me.

"Better," I replied quietly after I'd found my voice.

The nurse left us alone. Fireman Steele sat down in the chair beside my bed. "That's good. You're looking a lot better. Do you know when you'll be able to come home?"

"The doctor said it'll be a few more days. I don't want to stay here, but he said I'm still sick, and I have to stay, so I can get the medicine I need."

Fireman Steele nodded slightly. "Smoke inhalation does take a while to recover from. Don't worry. You'll be back home soon. I've brought you a little gift. I know you're probably a bit old for teddy bears, but since you were so brave, I felt that you deserved to have one as a reward." And he handed over a brown teddy bear dressed in a cute little fireman's outfit. I had to smile when I saw it, because it was very cute.

"Thank you, Fireman Steele," I said as I accepted the teddy bear from him. "I'm sorry you weren't able to save Mr Johnstone too."

"We'd have tried to save him if we'd known he was inside his house," Fireman Steele replied. "Sadly, we didn't. But that goes with the job. We can't always save everyone who needs help."

I fingered the teddy bear while I considered my next question. "Um, I was wondering… How did you become a fireman?"

"My grandfather was a fireman, but I wanted to go in the army, so I joined it when I became an adult."

"Did you fight in any wars?" Hamish asked. "I've learned all about the Second World War at school. Did you fight against that evil man, Hitler?"

Fireman Steele gave a bemused smile. "No. I was born the year the Second World War started, so I obviously missed out on fighting in that war. I did my army training, but I found it rather boring, so after five years I left to join the fire service."

"Did you consider joining the police?" I wondered.

"No, because it's not as exciting as being in the fire service."

I was surprised. "It isn't?"

Fireman Steele smiled again. "Most police officers spend their days inside, sitting at a desk. I wanted a job where I could get outside and help rescue people. Since I was born here in Newtown, I joined the fire academy here. After my basic training, I spent six months on probation here before I was transferred to Pontypandy. I've been there ever since."

My mind was filling up with questions now as an idea started to form. "Is Newtown the best place to learn to become a fireman?"

"No, Cardiff and London are the best places to go for the most up-to-date training, but I wanted to be close to home."

"What do you need to do to become a fireman?"

"Well, you need to be physically fit to start with, and you need to do quite well at school. You need to get good grades in maths, science and English. You also need to have lightning fast reflexes, and have the ability to adapt quickly. The best firemen are usually promoted to leading firemen and sub-officers, because they need to be able to problem solve whenever they're presented with a difficult situation. The ability to lead is very important too, so natural leaders tend to do well in the fire service. But you also need to be capable of following orders."

"And, do you just put out fires, or do you do other things as well?"

"Putting out fires is only a small part of the job. We also do search and rescue, which can be anything from searching for missing people to assisting with car crashes. Why are you asking me all these questions anyway?"

I dropped my gaze again. "Oh, I was just wondering, that's all. I always thought that being a fireman was a boring job."

Fireman Steele frowned thoughtfully. "No job is boring if you're passionate about it, Sam. And honestly, I could never see you becoming a policeman. You're too hyper for that kind of work."

I snapped my head up to make eye contact with Fireman Steele. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind. You'll understand when you're older. Anyway, I need to get going. Take care, and I'll see you again soon, all right?"

I nodded and Fireman Steele left.

"Who was that?" Hamish asked me.

"The fireman who saved my life."

…

Later that afternoon, a nurse had just administered some more medicine to me, when someone else arrived to see me. This time it was Mr Davies.

"Hello, Sam. I heard about the fire, so I thought I'd stop by and see how you were going."

I sat up. Since I'd just inhaled my medication, the nurse hadn't replaced my oxygen mask yet.

"I'm okay, sir."

Mr Davies smiled as he sat down on the chair beside my bed. "That's good. From what I heard, you have a very narrow escape."

"Everyone keeps saying that," I muttered.

"Sorry. Listen, I've been speaking with your parents about your schooling. They've agreed to let me visit you after school each day while you're here in hospital, so I can help you catch up on all the work you've missed. Basically, if we don't get you caught up, you won't be allowed to continue in grade five next term. We'll have to drop you back down to grade four, and I'm sure none of us wants to see that happen, do we?"

I shook my head. "Can I study during the day too?"

"Of course! Here. I've brought some work for you to try and get done before I return tomorrow after school. Just don't wear yourself out. If you find it's too much for you, just tell me. I understand that the doctor wants you to have as much rest as possible, so don't worry if you don't complete it all. Just do what you can, and we'll work on it at your own pace."

Hamish scoffed from his bed. Mr Davies and I glanced at him.

"Who's your friend, Sam?" Mr Davies asked.

"This is Hamish. He had his appendix removed last week," I explained.

"Hi Hamish," Mr Davies said. "I've never seen you before. Do you go to school here?"

"No, I'm from another town near here."

"Ah! That makes sense then." Mr Davies turned his attention back to me. "Now, let's go through the work I've set for you, just to make sure you understand it all."

"Okay," I happily agreed. After what Fireman Steele had told me that morning about getting good grades to become a fireman, I was more than ready to get back into my studies.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 **6 years later - 1981**

"Sam! Will you please stop being so silly, and come down from here, now!" mum shouted at me from the safety of the open skylight. I was sitting on the ridgepole of the roof, refusing to come down. I'd been up here for twenty minutes already, but I wasn't scared. I often came up here on hot summer nights when I couldn't sleep. If I could climb up onto the roof in the dark, I could do it during the day. For some strange reason, mum didn't seem to understand that.

I was fourteen-years-old now, and in grade ten at the Newtown Grammar School. Since the fire, we now lived in a townhouse in Pontypandy, two streets behind the fire station. It wasn't quite the same as living in a detached house on the outskirts of town, but I knew it could've been a lot worse.

"Sam, come down from the roof now!" dad ordered from the footpath across the street. A crowd had started to gather, but I wasn't planning to come down anytime soon.

"Not until mum says I don't have to do it!" I shouted down at dad.

"Oh, this is ridiculous! It wasn't even my idea in the first place," I heard mum grumble to granddad, who had come home from Cardiff for Charlie's wedding tomorrow. "Charlie wanted Sam to be the groomsman. He's only doing this because he doesn't want to wear a suit in the middle of summer!"

"I don't want to wear a suit at any time, mum!" I retorted. "I look awful."

Mum sighed heavily. "Sam, if you don't come back inside within the next thirty seconds, I'll cut off your allowance for a year!"

 _Daro, mum! Why does she have to make threats like that? She knows I really want to see that new movie with my friends next month._ Sighing heavily in defeat, I stood up to return to the skylight. I took one step towards it, but then a shingle broke under my foot.

"Argh!" I yelped as I felt myself sliding down the roof.

"Sam!" mum screamed.

Miraculously, as I slid off the roof, I managed to catch hold of the gutter with my fingertips.

"Oh, goodness! Someone, call the fire brigade!" I heard someone in the crowd shout.

 _No! I won't have them rescue me again!_ I thought as I desperately tried to pull myself back up. I managed to get my feet up higher, and I planted them firmly on the wall. Now, I was really glad I'd had my first growth spurt, because I was just tall enough to walk up the wall until I was high enough to change my grip on the gutter.

Straining hard, I managed to pull myself back onto the roof. Once I was sure I was safe, I paused to catch my breath. Just then, I heard Jupiter's sirens approaching.

"Ah, daro!" I muttered crossly. Then, I scrambled up the roof and over to the skylight. As soon as I'd climbed back inside the house, mum smothered me in a tight embrace, and she planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Oh, Sam! Whatever were you thinking? You could've been killed."

"I've been up there hundreds of times, mum," I retorted. "One of the shingles broke."

Mum gave me a hard slap on my shoulder.

"Ow!"

"That's for nearly giving me a heart attack! Now, let's get downstairs. You've got some explaining to do, young man."

We found granddad waiting downstairs along with Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele.

"Ah! There you are, Nurse Jones," Station Officer Boyce said. He glared sternly at me. "So, this is the third time in two months that we've been called out to rescue your son, and each time, when we arrive, we find that he's managed to rescue himself."

 _You're too slow, that's why._ "I'm fine, Station Officer Boyce," I said. "I don't know who called you out, but I didn't need you."

"They said you were about to fall off the roof."

"I slipped, but I climbed back up."

"I don't know how you did it!" mum exclaimed. "You were hanging onto the gutter by your fingertips."

"Show me your hands, Sam," Fireman Steele instructed. I complied. They were rather red where I'd been hanging onto the edge of the gutter, but other than that, they were fine. "Hmm… With hands as strong as that, why don't we take him off your hands for a few hours, Nurse Jones? I'm sure he must be getting in your way with the wedding tomorrow and everything?"

"Actually, it'd be great if you could find a way to keep him occupied!" mum readily agreed. "I'm sure you'll be able to find something useful for him to do. That's if you're happy to look after him, Station Officer Boyce?"

"Erm, well… I suppose we could… Just for a few hours."

Fireman Steele stepped behind me, and he placed his hands firmly on my shoulders. "Don't worry, sir. I'll look after him. I know how to handle bored, energetic teenagers."

I gulped nervously. _What on earth does he have in mind for me?_

"Come along, young Sam," Fireman Steele instructed. "We're going to take you for a little ride in Jupiter."

"And then what?" I asked.

"Oh, you'll see."

…

I did see. As soon as we'd arrived back at the fire station, Fireman Steele set me to work washing Jupiter. I didn't complain. It was something for me to do, and far better than watching TV or helping with the wedding plans. It also gave me time to think.

 _Things sure are going to be different with Charlie moving out of home. I'm really going to miss him. Why did it have to be Bronwyn though? I know she's nice and all, but I hate the way she bosses me around. And Gwen too. She used to be so shy and quiet. I guess puberty really changes some girls. Now, she won't leave me alone!_

"Ahem!"

I looked up to see Fireman Steele standing behind me.

"Are you nearly finished?"

"I think so, Fireman Steele."

Fireman Steele walked all around Jupiter, inspecting her closely. "Not bad. You can use the fire hose to wash the soap suds off now. Would you like to help set it up?"

I nodded. Then I watched as Fireman Steele slid open one of Jupiter's lockers. He took out a couple of big red fire hoses that had been rolled up together, and he handed the coil over to me. Surprised by the weight, I nearly dropped them.

"Sorry. I should've warned you that they're heavy. Now, carry those out into the yard there, and see if you can unroll them neatly."

I did a Fireman Steele instructed. I placed the coil down on its shortest side, with the brass nozzles facing me. I'd seen the firemen unrolling the hoses before, so I didn't think it'd be too difficult. I gave the coil a big push. To my dismay, the hoses unrolled a short distance before the coil fell over and stopped unwinding. I heard Fireman Steele snigger behind me.

"What did I do wrong?" I asked quietly.

"You tried too hard, for starters. You had the right wrist action though, which is good, because most people can't even get that. You need to use the weight of the hoses to unroll themselves. Don't give it too much force, or they'll just tip over. The aim is to unroll them quickly and as straight as possible. Why don't you roll them back up and try again?"

I did so. This time, I didn't push hard enough, and the hoses barely unrolled again, but at least they didn't tip over this time. Fireman Steele placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Keep practicing. You'll eventually get it. It takes time to learn how to master hose unrolling."

While I kept trying to unroll the hoses, Fireman Steele expertly unrolled a single hose, which he then connected to a hydrant near the training tower.

"When you're ready, you can hose off Jupiter," he said.

Reluctantly, I left the coil of hoses, and I picked up the single hose. I was about to turn it one, when Fireman Steele grabbed hold of the hose behind me. "Just in case. These hoses have enough power in them to knock you out," he explained. "I'm not sure I want to be the one trying to explain that to your mother. Right…water on."

He turned the tap handle. I felt the hose fill up with water, so I turned the nozzle. A tremendous jet of water shot out through the nozzle, catching me off-guard. Luckily, Fireman Steele managed to steady me, and I aimed the water at Jupiter's side.

"Good work, Sam," Fireman Steele praised. "Now, let's slowly move around to the front. Try not to trip over the hose."

Twenty minutes later, Jupiter had been thoroughly washed and dried. I'd even cleaned the water residue off the windows using an extra-long squeegee.

"Now what?" I asked Fireman Steele eagerly.

He seemed a bit surprised that I was now asking him for more work. "Hmm… Well, there's a few old piles of ash inside the smoke room that need to be cleaned out. I'll show you where to dispose of the ash. Be careful with it though. You don't want to get it all over yourself."

The buckets of ash weren't as heavy as the hoses had been, so I was able to complete that job quickly. Then, Fireman Steele got me to sweep out the garage and the training tower. That took a while, and by the time I'd finished, it was almost dark.

"You've done a great job today, Sam," Fireman Steele praised. "Why don't you come inside the kitchen for a cup of hot chocolate before I take you home?"

"Thanks," I replied tiredly.

…

"Here you go, Nurse Jones," Fireman Steele said to mum when he returned me home about half an hour later. "One son, safely returned."

"Thank you for looking after him, Norris," mum said as I entered the house. "I hope he wasn't any bother?"

"Oh, no. He just needed something to keep him occupied, that's all. Goodnight."

"'Night. Oh, will you be at the ceremony tomorrow?"

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it."

I was already heading for the stairs when mum closed the front door. "Dinner's almost ready, Sam."

"Okay. Is Charlie home?"

"Yes. He's in his room."

A moment later, I knocked on the door to Charlie's bedroom.

"Come in." I entered the room to find Charlie carefully laying out his wedding suit on his bed. "Oh, hi Sam. Sorry I've been ignoring you these past few days. I just wanted to ensure that everything goes smoothly tomorrow."

"It's okay. I understand. Are you nervous?"

"A bit," Charlie admitted. "But I won't be once the ceremony is over. I'm glad granddad was able to make it here in time."

"Yeah." I dropped my gaze.

Charlie sensed that something was wrong. "What's up, Sam? I thought you'd be happy for me."

"I am! It's just… I'm really going to miss you."

Unable to stop the flood of emotions that spread over us, Charlie and I hugged each other tightly.

"I suppose now is the best time to tell you that Bronwyn and I have decided to stay right here in Pontypandy," Charlie told me kindly. "Gareth has been helping us find a house to rent until we can afford a mortgage. So, I'll still be right here for you whenever you need me."

I smiled slightly. "Thanks, Charlie. I was so afraid that you were planning to life far away, like granddad."

"Well, you don't need to worry about that now. We're staying right here. But, as you know, Bronnie and I are having our honeymoon in Scotland. Do you think you'll be able to stay out of trouble for a week?"

"I'll try," I promised.

"Good. And this'll give you a chance to get used to living on your own with just mum and dad. You'll have to until you're old enough to move out of home yourself."

"Yeah. I just wish mum would stop pestering me. She doesn't do that with you."

"She does that because you're her baby, and whether you like it or not, you always will be. Just try and put up with her pampering. Now, we'd better get downstairs for dinner. I want to get to bed early tonight, because we've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Is Gwen taking part in the wedding too?" I asked Charlie as we made our way downstairs.

"Of course. She's one of Bronwyn's bridesmaids."

"Oh. Can you please make sure she doesn't go near me?

Charlie nearly laughed. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Sam! I know she's got a crush on you, so you'll have to deal with her yourself."

"Thanks for the brotherly support!" I sneered.

"Hey, you didn't lift a finger to help me when Bronwyn had a crush on me. So, now it's your turn. Who knows? You might end up marrying Gwen one day." Before I could think of anything to say in reply to that, Charlie turned his attention to mum. "Is dinner ready, mum?"

"Yes, Charlie. And I've made your favourite for your final night as an unmarried man. Okay, everyone. Let's eat!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 15

"Ow! That's too tight, mum!" I protested as mum fitted the elastic bowtie around my neck.

"Nonsense, Sam. It's perfect, and you look very smart."

"I look like a dork," I muttered crossly. "Why do I have to wear a suit? Why can't I just wear my normal clothes?"

"Because this is Charlie and Bronwyn's wedding, and you have to look nice," mum replied firmly. "There! Now, let me just comb your hair…"

"No, mum!" I protested. "You always do it wrong."

Granddad came over to us, and he gently took the comb from mum's hand. "Allow me."

I stood quietly while granddad combed my hair the way I liked it. Once I was ready, granddad took me outside for a chat.

"I know Charlie's wedding means a huge change for you, Sam," he began.

"Why does he have to get married?" I asked. "I mean, I know he loves Bronwyn, but I don't want him to leave me."

Granddad pulled me into a tight hug. "But he's not leaving you, Sam. He'll still be around for you to talk to when you need him. Plus, you'll also have Bronwyn to confide in too now. And just think, it won't be long before you'll be marching down the aisle too."

I scoffed as I pushed myself out of granddad's embrace. "Yeah, right! I don't ever want to get married."

"Why not?"

"Because Gwen is so annoying!"

Granddad held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. "Who mentioned Gwen? There's thousands of other girls out there beside her. We all know she has a crush on you, but we can't force you two to get married. It's against the law. Besides, I can see that you two would never be happy together."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I know mum wants us to marry. I heard her telling dad the other night. She thought I was in bed, but I snuck downstairs to get a drink. I nearly choked on it."

Granddad chuckled. "You'll change your mind about women one day soon, Sam." He glanced at his watch. "I think it's time for us to be getting to the church. I'll just see if your parents are ready."

…

Two hours later, Charlie and Bronwyn were officially married. I joined in the well-wishers as the happy couple stepped out of St Giles church amidst a flurry of rose petals, confetti and streamers. While I was happy for my brother and my new sister-in-law, I was also sad to know that I would now be all alone at home, with just mum and dad for company. In hindsight, I know it was selfish of me to think like that, but that's how I felt at the time.

Gareth, who was now my father-in-law, placed an arm around me. "I haven't seen you smile once all day, Sam. You should be happy for them."

"I am. I guess I'm just feeling a bit left behind."

Gareth smiled. "I know what you mean. But don't worry. You'll soon catch up."

"I'm going to throw the bouquet now!" Bronwyn announced.

I was pushed and shoved around a little as all of the unmarried women rushed forwards to get into position. Bronwyn turned around, and she tossed the bouquet high into the air over her head. There was a mad scramble, but then I heard Gwen squeal excitedly.

"I got it! Sam! Where are you? We're next to get married!"

Everyone started laughing. Feeling deeply humiliated in front of the entire town, I turned beetroot red before I took off running back inside the church. I just wanted to be on my own for a while, and I knew the perfect place.

The bell tower was quiet, and it also gave me a brilliant view of the entire town. Once I was safely inside it at the top, I watched on from a window as everyone bid Charlie and Bronwyn farewell. I wanted to be back down there too, to give Charlie a final hug, but I didn't want to be anywhere near Gwen again. Tears slid down my cheeks as I watched Charlie and Bronwyn drive away.

I remained inside the bell tower until the majority of the crowd had gone. Nobody said anything to me when I reappeared downstairs in the churchyard. The women were too busy discussing Bronwyn's dress, while the men were arguing about what Scotsmen wore under their kilts. Sighing heavily, I decided to walk home on my own.

…

Later that night, sometime around eleven p.m., I'd almost drifted off to sleep, when I heard someone quietly open my bedroom door. I lay still with my eyes closed, pretending to be fast asleep.

"See, Mary?" granddad whispered. "He's fine."

"Yes… He's just been so quiet lately. It's not like him to keep to himself like this."

"He's just more upset about Charlie getting married than he's letting on. It's been a huge change for him, and it'll take time for him to adjust to it. Come now. It's late, and we all need to get some sleep."

Mum closed the door softly. "When are you planning to return to Cardiff?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"I just hope that Charlie and Bronwyn are enjoying themselves up in Scotland."

"Trust me, if they're anything like what I was like on my honeymoon, they'll be having the time of their lives!"

Shocked, I pulled the bedcovers over my head. I knew exactly what granddad was referring to, and I didn't want to hear that kind of talk while I was trying to sleep.

I tossed and turned for a while, but sleep wouldn't come to me. Eventually, I gave up, and I got up to downstairs to fetch a glass of milk. Mum had taught me years ago that milk was a natural sedative. After I'd drank a glassful, I went back to bed. This time, I finally fell asleep.

…

Five days later, I was sitting on the front doorstep of our townhouse, fiddling with a stick and a rock. I'd never been so bored before in my life. Charlie was still away on his honeymoon, my friends had all left Pontypandy for the summer holidays, and Fireman Steele was up in the mountains with the other firefighters on a training drill. Dad hadn't even bothered to invite me to go out to sea with him, so I was left at home with nothing to do. I was just starting to consider going for a walk down to the shop to spend my pocket money on a comic book and some sweets, when I heard someone approaching. Looking up, I saw that it was just Dr Roberts. As usual, he was carrying his Gladstone bag that he used to carry medical supplies.

"Afternoon, Sam. Is your mother in?"

"Yeah, she's in the clinic," I muttered.

"Thanks. What's wrong?"

"I'm bored."

"Ah! Well, I'm sure you'll find something to do soon." Dr Roberts patted my shoulder reassuringly, before he entered the house. He left the front door slightly ajar. "Mary? I'm here now."

"I'm in the clinic," I heard mum reply. "Did you see Sam when you came in?"

"Yes. He's just out the front."

"Sam!" mum shouted. "Come inside, please! I need your help with something."

Sighing, I dropped my stick and I went inside, closing the front door behind me. I went into the small clinic near the back of the house. "What is it, mum?"

Someone closed the door behind me. I didn't have to turn around to know that mum had closed the door, because Dr Roberts was standing over near the examination table. Standing behind me, mum placed her hands on my shoulders.

"Sorry I had to trick you, Sam, but I didn't want you disappearing on me," mum said gently. "You're due for your yearly check-up and a booster vaccine."

I groaned in disbelief. "Can't it wait?"

Dr Roberts chuckled. "Sorry, Sam, but I wanted to do this before Charlie's wedding. Unfortunately, your mother was too busy to help. Besides, I know for a fact that you're definitely not busy right now. Hop up onto the table, and we'll get started."

Sighing reluctantly, I did as I'd been instructed. Dr Roberts put his stethoscope in his ears, and he placed the end against my back, under my shirt. I knew he was just listening to my lungs, so I took a few deep breaths. Then I deliberately coughed without being told to. Dr Roberts smiled, and he removed the stethoscope from his ears.

"Thanks, Sam. I wish all of my patients were as co-operative as you. Now, I just need to examine your throat…"

While Dr Roberts continued to examine me, mum started to prepare my vaccine. I wasn't scared of needles, but that didn't mean that I enjoyed having them. Tolerated was probably the best word to use.

"Okay, Sam," Dr Roberts said once he'd finished his basic examination. "Before your mum gives you your vaccine, I just need to take a bit of blood for a routine blood test. Do you want to sit up, or lie down for it?"

"I'll lie down," I decided. "I fainted last time."

"That's right! I had to catch you before you fell off the table. Yes, you'd better lie down."

I lay down on my back on the table, resting my head on the soft pillow. Knowing full well what would happen next, I closed my eyes, so I could try and focus my thoughts on something else. My thoughts turned to my volunteer work at the fire station. I was still having difficulties unrolling the firehoses whenever I helped out there, so I started to ponder a new method that might work better. I was concentrating so hard on that, that I barely even noticed when Dr Roberts placed the cuff around my upper left arm.

"Sam? Are you awake?"

"Mmm…" I moaned softly.

"I'm going to insert the needle now. I want you to clench your hand into a fist. Good boy. Now, just relax."

 _I already am relaxed!_ I moaned again when I felt the needle go into my arm, but then I didn't feel anything. I lay still until I felt Dr Roberts tape a piece of cotton wool over where he'd inserted the needle. He'd removed the needle without me even feeling it. Then, he folded my arm at the elbow, to help the puncture wound close faster.

"Do you want to give him the vaccine, or shall I?" I heard mum ask him.

"You can give it to him, while I deal with the blood sample," Dr Roberts replied.

Mum gently nudged me. "Are you feeling okay there, Sam? You look a little pale."

"Just do it, mum," I muttered.

Mum wiped my left shoulder with a cloth dipped in alcohol, before she injected the needle into my shoulder. It hurt a lot more than the blood test needle had, so I winced and gritted my teeth. A few seconds later, mum removed the needle.

"There, Sam. We're all done with you now. You may go back outside now, if you like."

I slowly sat up, and I got down from the table. I leaned against it for a moment to try and stop my dizziness.

"Are you feeling okay there, Sam?" Dr Roberts asked. "Your mother's right. You are looking very pale."

"I think I'll go and lie down for a bit," I muttered as I staggered out of the room.

Once I was upstairs in my bedroom, I collapsed onto my bed, taking care not to bump my sore left arm. It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.

…

"Sam?"

With a low moan, I reluctantly opened my eyes. Mum was leaning over me, gently feeling my forehead with her hand. Looking around, I realised that it was dusk. I'd slept for about three hours.

"Are you feeling okay? You feel a little hot."

"I'm just tired," I replied softly.

"Okay. Well, dinner's nearly ready. Would you like anything?"

I shook my head. I had no appetite. Mum frowned with concern.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, mum!" I snapped. "Just leave me alone! I want to sleep."

Mum was rather taken aback by my outburst. She hesitated before leaving my room. She left my bedroom door wide open, so I was able to hear her pick up the receiver from the telephone in the hallway. A few seconds later, she started speaking.

"Hello, Dr Roberts. It's Mary. Sorry to disturb you during dinnertime, but I think Sam's having a reaction to the vaccine. He's been lethargic all afternoon, and now he has a slight fever with no appetite. Yes, he just snapped at me too, which I suppose you could say is a sign of irritability. Okay, thanks. See you shortly." Mum put the receiver down, and she returned to my bedroom doorway. "Are you thirsty, Sam?"

With another groan, I placed my pillow over my head. "Na! Ewch i ffwrdd!"

Even though mum only know a few Welsh words and phrases, she got the message, and she walked away down the hall.

It wasn't long before I was disturbed again though. This time, it was Dr Roberts who woke me up. He deliberately made a lot of noise when he entered my bedroom, so I sat up crossly.

"Can't you all just leave me alone? I just want to sleep!"

"You can do that later," Dr Roberts told me firmly. He took hold of my left arm, and he rolled up the sleeve. I yelped when he touched the place where I'd received the vaccine earlier.

"Ow!" I pulled my arm out of his hand, and I yanked the sleeve back down. Then, I flopped back down onto my pillow.

Dr Roberts turned towards mum. "Yes, he's definitely having a reaction to the vaccine. So far, his symptoms are the most common reactions, so don't worry about him too much for now. He won't have any appetite for at least a couple of days, and he's likely to be moody a lot too, when he's awake. He should be back to normal in a few days, so until then, just give him some space."

Mum breathed a small sigh of relief. "I seem to recall him having a reaction to a vaccine when he was a baby."

Dr Roberts nodded. "Reactions to vaccines are a lot more common than most people realise. Most people only have mild reactions, which is what Sam has right now. Just monitor his symptoms. If they get any worse, or if they change, let me know straight away."

"I will. Thanks, Dr Roberts. I'll show you out."

After they'd gone, I placed my pillow over my head. Mum returned a few minutes later.

"Well, Sam, if you don't want any dinner, I want you to go and have your shower, and then go straight to bed, all right?"

"Yes, mum," I muttered sleepily. "That's all I want to do anyway." I sat up. "Sorry I snapped at you. I'm just really tired."

Mum gave me a gentle pat on the back. "It's okay, Sam. I realised that. I'll let you sleep in tomorrow, okay?"

"Thanks. Charlie's coming back tomorrow, isn't he?"

"Yes. It'll be nice to have him and Bronwyn back safely with us."

I nodded in agreement. "Do you think they'll have any kids?"

"Possibly. At least, I hope they do. I'm a bit young to be a grandmother, I suppose, but if that's what they want, I'm not going to stop them."

"I guess I'm a bit young to become an uncle too, right?"

Mum gave me a bemused look. "Go and have your shower, Sam. I know you're not well when you start overthinking things!"

Reluctantly, I grabbed my pyjamas and headed down the hall towards the bathroom. One thing was certain though; mum knew me too well.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 16

I was awoken the following morning by the sound of people talking downstairs. Realising that it must be Charlie and Bronwyn, I attempted to sit up. However, even that small effort exhausted me, so I lay back down, taking care not to touch my shoulder, which was still sore.

A few minutes later, I heard Charlie's familiar footfall as he came up the hallway, followed closely by mum's softer footfall. I decided to pretend that I was still asleep. The bedroom door opened quietly.

"I told you he was still asleep," mum whispered.

I heard Charlie sigh heavily, and he sat down on the edge of my bed. "You can stop pretending with me, Sam. I know you're awake."

I didn't move. Concerned, Charlie placed a hand on my forehead.

"He feels hot, mum."

Mum also felt my forehead. "He's not that bad. A slight fever is quite normal for a vaccine reaction."

I moaned and stirred, just like I had when I had actually woken up a few minutes earlier. Then I rolled over onto my back. "What's the time?" I asked sleepily.

"About nine-thirty," mum replied. "You can stay in bed today, if you don't feel like getting up."

"Thanks." I looked up at Charlie. "Hey. When did you get back?"

"Only a few minutes ago. Mum told me you weren't well, so I had to come and see you."

"Where's Bronwyn?"

"Downstairs. Look, don't worry about us. You just do what mum said, and stay in bed. I'll come back and see you again later tonight."

"Okay, Charlie. It's so strange not having you living here, though."

Charlie chuckled. "I know. I'm still getting used to it myself! Get some rest. We'll see you later."

…

Three days later, I'd fully recovered from my reaction to the vaccine. Charlie and Bronwyn had rented a townhouse down near the quayside, so that's where I started to hang out when I was bored.

"I wish I could go back to school this week, instead of next week," I told Bronwyn one morning while I watched her ironing some clothes.

Bronwyn smiled at me. "Enjoy it while you can, Sam. Once you become an adult, you'll start wishing that you could go on holidays."

"I doubt it…" I muttered.

At that moment, Gwen entered the townhouse through the backdoor. I promptly ducked down beneath the kitchen table.

"Hey, sis! Dad said I could go and play at the beach now that I've finished my chores. I was hoping Sam would like to come with me. Have you seen him around?"

"Yes, but I think he had to leave in a hurry."

"Okay, thanks! I'll see if I can catch up with him." And Gwen exited the house.

I peeked out from beneath the table. "Is she gone?" I whispered.

"Yes, Sam. You can come out now."

I did so. "Thanks for not telling her I was here."

"That's what sisters-in-law are for. Seriously though, Sam, she does have a major crush on you. Would it hurt you to just try and be friendly to her?"

I sighed heavily. "I suppose not. But I don't want her thinking I'm in love with her, when I'm not."

"I understand. But, you'll probably find that she's not that bad really. Even if you just end up being friends, I'll be happy."

"Okay, okay! I'll see if I can find her. I wouldn't mind going down to the beach anyway."

"Good! You can collect some mussels for me." And Bronwyn handed me a bucket.

"Daro! Bronwyn! Nid yw hynny'n deg!"

I heard Bronwyn giggling as I left the house. Sighing, I headed over to the quay, and I looked around to see if dad's boat was moored. It wasn't, so I guessed that he was out at sea again.

"There you are, Sam!"

Gasping, I jumped, and I spun around to see mum standing right behind me. "Mum! I thought you were Gwen for a second."

Mum chuckled. "She really has got your nerves on edge, hasn't she?"

"No!"

"Well, anyway, I need your help back at home, please. A claw foot on the bathtub has broken off, and with your dad out at sea fishing, I've asked Charlie to see if he can fix it. He might need some help, so can you run on home, please?"

"Of course! Oh, I forgot. Bronwyn wanted some mussels."

Mum took the bucket from me. "I'll ask Gwen to go and fetch them for her. Of you go now, please."

I took off jogging towards home. Considering how fit I was, I was barely even puffing by the time I arrived home. I found Charlie in the bathroom, examining the broken bathtub. He'd propped up the broken corner with some wooden blocks.

"Thanks for coming, Sam. I'm going to need another pair of hands for this repair."

"How are you planning to reattach the foot?" I wondered.

"I'm not sure. This bathtub is older than granddad. They knew what they were doing when they made it."

I crouched down to take a look for myself. "It looks like they used rivets when they first built it, but they've rusted through."

Charlie sighed despondently. "I'll have to tell mum that she'd be better off getting a brand-new bathtub."

"No, I'm sure we can fix it! There must be another old bathtub around here that we can take the claw off, since we can't reattach this one."

"We could try the dump in the alleyway," Charlie suggested.

"Great idea! The Morrisons were doing up their bathroom a few weeks ago. Maybe they threw out their old bathtub?"

"Good thinking, Sam! Let's go!"

We hurried down to the alleyway where many of Pontypandy's residents dumped their large items of rubbish. The council was supposed to come through once a month to collect it, but usually we only saw the council trucks removing the rubbish once every six months. It was completely off-limits to children, so I wasn't very familiar with that alleyway like I was with the rest of the town.

Charlie and I slowed down as we approached the alleyway. "Stay behind me, Sam," Charlie cautioned. "I don't want you to get hurt by any falling piles of rubbish."

"I'll be fine, Charlie. Hey, look! There's a bathtub like ours." And I walked over to it. It was badly dented, and it had huge pieces of enamel missing from it, but I could see that at least one of the claw feet would be usable.

Charlie joined me. "Well done, Sam! That'll be perfect. Unfortunately, I've left my toolbox in the bathroom. We'll have to carry the bathtub to our backyard to remove one of the feet. Do you think you can manage one end?"

"Of course, Charlie!" I easily lifted one end, and Charlie picked up the other. "Let's go!"

…

Half an hour later, Charlie and I had finished repairing the bathtub. While Charlie started packing up his tools, I headed downstairs to go and tell mum that we'd finished. When I reached the stairs, I decided to slide down the bannister. I often did that when I thought no-one was looking.

Landing safely, I looked around to see where mum was. "Mum?"

"I'm in the clinic, Sam," mum replied.

I went inside the clinic. Mum was busy restocking medical supplies. "Uh, we've finished repairing the bathtub now, mum."

"Excellent! I'll come up and take a look at it in a minute."

Nodding, I left the clinic, and I returned upstairs. Mum joined us a few minutes later.

"What do you think, mum?" I asked. "I know it's not a match to the other claw feet, but at least it fits."

"I think you've both done a marvellous job!" mum praised. "You two make a great team!"

Smiling, Charlie and I hit a high-five.

"Right," Charlie said as he stood up. "I'll just finish putting my tools away, and then we can return that other old bathtub to the dump."

At that moment, the phone in the hallway rang. Mum answered it. "Nurse Jones speaking… Oh, I see… Okay, don't touch him! I'll be there shortly."

Mum turned to face me as soon as she put the phone down. "Sam, you're the fastest. I need you to run as fast as you can to Dr Roberts' house, and tell him to meet me at the fire station as soon as possible."

"What's happened?" Charlie asked.

"Fireman Lucas has fallen from the training tower. Station Officer Boyce believes he may have broken his back."

I immediately felt an adrenalin surge rush throughout my body as I took off running down the hallway. I knew how serious a potential broken back could be, so I took the shortcut down the stairs, by sliding down the bannister once again. I sprinted out the front door, and down the street towards Dr Roberts' house.

"Dr Roberts! Dr Roberts!" I shouted urgently as I started ringing his doorbell loudly. The door opened and, startled, I leapt backwards.

"What's going on, Sam?" Dr Roberts asked patiently.

"Accident at the fire station…!" I gasped, panting. "Fireman Lucas…fell from the training tower…suspected broken back…"

Dr Roberts hurried back inside, emerging again a minute later with his Gladstone bag. "Right, let's go." And he got into his car.

I was surprised. "You want me to come too?"

"Yes. I may need your help."

I climbed into Dr Roberts' car, and then he set off driving quickly towards the fire station.

Mum was already working on Fireman Lucas by the time we arrived at the fire station. When I joined her, I could see that Fireman Lucas was unconscious, and lying on his back. Mum was administering oxygen to him.

"He's been unconscious ever since he fell," mum explained to Dr Roberts, who knelt on the ground beside her. "I've administered morphine, but I haven't touched him, aside from cutting his sleeve off."

"Okay. We need to remove his helmet before we get him onto a stretcher. Fireman Steele?"

"Yes, doctor?"

"I need you to go and phone for an ambulance. It's going to take at least twenty minutes for it to get here from Newtown."

"I'm on it," Fireman Steele said as he hurried away.

I felt Station Officer Boyce place a hand on my shoulder. "Er, should we send Sam home?"

"He's fourteen, not four," mum replied. "He needs to start facing reality."

I glanced up at Station Officer Boyce. "I'm okay," I said, to try and reassure him. "I've seen worse things on the six o'clock news."

Dr Roberts looked up at me. "Sam? We're going to need your help here. I know you've got strong, steady hands, and that's what we need right now."

"What do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Kneel down there on the ground in front of Fireman Lucas' head. I want you to support it while we remove his helmet and secure a brace around his neck. Just remember, the slightest move in the wrong direction could result in permeant injury."

I cautiously knelt in front of Fireman Lucas' head, and I made myself as comfortable as I could with my legs tucked up under me. Then, I carefully placed my hands on either side of Fireman's Lucas' head, ready to cup it in my hands.

"Are you ready, Sam?" Dr Roberts asked.

I nodded in response. Dr Roberts gently guided my hands into the correct position. Once I was fully supporting Fireman Lucas' head, Dr Roberts removed his badly damaged fireman's helmet.

"Don't move," Dr Roberts reminded me in a firm, but soft tone. I knew he was trying to keep me calm. I watched as he fitted a neck brace around Fireman Lucas' neck. "That'll help, but I need you to stay right where you are, Sam, until the paramedics get here. You're doing a great job."

"Thanks."

Fireman Steele returned to us then. "The ambulance is on its way. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"You could set up a shade cloth to keep the sun off him," mum suggested.

"Good idea!" Station Officer Boyce agreed. "I know just the thing!"

While Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele went to find a shade cloth, I looked down at Fireman Lucas. "He will be okay, won't he?" I asked softly.

"We'll do everything we can for him," mum replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'll let you know if I start to get tired."

"You can relax a little, Sam," Dr Roberts advised. "It's okay if you do move a little bit now. You just need to keep his head off the ground."

It seemed like an eternity before the ambulance arrived. By then, I'd lost all feeling in my arms, because I hadn't moved them at all for almost half an hour, so I was very relieved when a paramedic took over from me.

"You've done a brilliant job, young man," the paramedic praised. "I don't know how you managed to keep your arms still for so long."

"Neither do I," I admitted as I slowly stood up. My muscles complained a little, so Dr Roberts helped me stand.

"A nice hot bath will cure that for you," he advised with a wink. "And you deserve it!"

"He deserves more than that," Station Officer Boyce said. "But we can discuss rewards later. We need to get Fireman Lucas off to hospital."

I stood by quietly while Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele helped the paramedics transfer Fireman Lucas onto a stretcher for the journey to Newtown Hospital. Mum breathed a sigh of relief once the ambulance had gone.

"Let's go home now, Sam. It's getting late."

…

A few hours later, after dinner, I was sitting at the kitchen table reading a book on the ancient Celts, when the phone rang. Mum answered it. I put my book down, and I turned around in my chair, so I could clearly listen to the conversation.

"Oh, hello Station Officer Boyce. How's Fireman Lucas doing? Mhm… Oh dear… That's such a shame! Still, at least he should make a full recovery… I'll go and see him once he regains consciousness… Yes, by all means! I'm sure he'll appreciate that… Okay. Please keep me updated. Bye."

"So, Fireman Lucas will be okay then?" I asked after mum had hung up the phone.

"To a point. He's expected to be able to walk again one day, but he'll never serve in active duty in the fire brigade again."

"Oh," I muttered sadly.

Mum came over to me, and she gave me a hug. "Station Officer Boyce is recommending you for a fire service commendation."

"Why? I didn't do much."

"Sam, what you did today almost certainly saved Fireman Lucas' life. It may not have seemed like much, but you did a lot. I'm sure you'll get the commendation, but we won't worry about it now. It's time for bed."

"Yes, mum. I'm exhausted anyway. It's been a long day. Goodnight."

Mum gave me another hug when I stood up. "Goodnight, Sam."

"Hey! Where's my goodnight hug?" dad asked from the sofa.

Chuckling, I went over to him, and I playfully crash-tackled him. Dad ended up rolling off the sofa and onto the floor!

"Well, that's the last time I ask you for a hug!"

"You did ask me for one!"

"I said a hug; not a rugby tackle! Go to bed."

I snapped to attention. "Yes, sir!" I was about to salute him, but then dad leapt up, and he started to run towards me. I dashed over to the stairs. "Can't catch me!"

"That's what you think!" dad shouted up the stairwell after me. Then he chuckled. "Night, son!"

"Goodnight, dad!"


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 17

 _CRASH!_

"Twins?" mum exclaimed, shocked.

Bronwyn chuckled, and she placed her hands protectively over her slightly bulging stomach. "I'm not surprised you dropped that teacup, Mary. I can hardly believe it myself!"

"I can," Gareth piped up. "When your mother was expecting Gwen, we thought she was twins."

 _That sounds about right_ , I thought, but I wisely kept it to myself.

"Are twins common in your family, Gareth?" dad asked.

"Not really. They're more common on my late wife's side of the family. She was a twin."

"Do you know what gender they'll be?" Gwen asked Bronwyn.

Bronwyn shook her head. "No. Charlie and I have decided to wait and be surprised."

"I hope it's a boy and a girl," I said. "That way, you'll have one of each."

Charlie ruffled my hair. "Smart thinking, Sam."

I pulled a disgruntled face as I fixed up my hair. "If I'm right, will you let me name them?"

Charlie and Bronwyn exchanged a glance. Bronwyn shrugged.

"I'll tell you what. If you're right, you can _help_ us name them," Charlie countered.

I promptly shook hands with him in agreement. Gwen folded her arms crossly.

"That's not fair! I want to name them!"

"Well, you're too late," I retorted. "I got in first."

"Bronwyn!" Gwen whined.

"Stop screaming, Gwen," Gareth scolded. "Sam asked first, so he'll get first choice. If Charlie and Bronnie don't like the names he comes up with, then you can help."

While Gwen continued protesting, I reached across the kitchen bench and I subtly reached into the biscuit jar to grab one of my favourite rock cakes. Seeing me, mum slapped my wrist.

"No, Sam! You'll spoil your dinner."

"But I'm hungry now, mum!"

"Samuel Peyton Jones!"

I quickly put the rock cake back. "That's not fair!"

"It's not my fault if you didn't eat enough at lunch."

"I did, but I'm still hungry."

"Let him have one, Mary," dad said kindly. "He's a growing boy. I was always hungry when I was his age."

"You stay out of this, David! Sam's never going to be well-disciplined if you keep giving him what he wants."

I gave an exasperated sigh as I stood up. "I need to go and help Andrew build our bonfire for tonight anyway."

"Wait for me, Sam!" Gareth said. "I need to light the fire for you boys."

"I can do it," I replied. "I'm old enough now."

"Not without supervision, you can't," dad reminded me firmly. "Off you go. We'll join you later."

"Don't forget your jacket, Sam!" mum reminded me just as I was about to open the front door.

I grabbed my jacket off the coat hanger. "Can I go now?"

"Of course," mum agreed. "Keep a close eye of him, Gareth."

"I will, Mary."

"Don't worry, mum," I hard Charlie say on my way out. "Sam's hopeless at lighting fires. He couldn't even light my birthday cake last year, remember?"

I slammed the door behind me. "I can light fires, Charlie! I'll show you tonight!"

Gareth placed a hand on my shoulder. "I hope you're not thinking of doing anything silly tonight, Sam."

"No," I said with a sigh. "I just wish he'd stop picking on me."

"That's what siblings do, Sam. Let's hurry. We need to get that bonfire built before sunset."

…

The sun was just beginning to set by the time Andrew and I had finished assembling our bonfire, and the effigy of Guy Fawkes, down on the beach. We stood back to admire our handiwork while the townsfolk joined us. I frowned when I saw Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele arrive in Jupiter.

 _Doesn't anyone believe that I know what I'm doing? Fireman Steele has been teaching me. Well, sort of._

"Who's lighting the bonfire this year?" Mrs Sanderson wondered.

"I am!" I said before anyone could speak.

Andrew shrugged. "Let him try. You can give the matches to me once he's given up."

I drew in a deep breath in an effort to try and keep my temper in check. _I'll show him too!_ Gareth handed me a box of matches, and I went over to the bonfire. With fierce determination, I struck a match against the side of the box. Unfortunately, the stick broke in half, so I tried again. The same thing happened.

Fireman Steele came over to me. "Would you like a hand?"

"I can…" I sighed despondently. "Yes, please."

Fireman Steele took the matchbox from me, and he took out a match. "It's simple. Just relax, and hold the match at forty-five degrees while you're sticking it. Like this. See?"

I nodded, and Fireman Steele handed the box and match back to me. This time, I followed Fireman Steele's advice, and I managed to successfully light the match. While the crowd cheered and applauded, I placed the flame against some dry leaves near the bottom of the bonfire, setting it alight. Once the fire had caught hold, I tossed the match into the flames.

"See Charlie! I can light fires!"

Charlie chuckled. "You know I was only teasing you about that, Sam."

"Right. Well, now that Sam has somehow managed to get the bonfire going, let's get the fireworks going as well!" Station Officer Boyce announced. "Fireman Steele? Take charge."

I joined the others, who were watching from a safe distance, as Fireman Steele set up the fireworks. As soon as it was dark enough, Fireman Steele set off the fireworks safely. I stood on the beach along with everyone else, watching the fireworks display in awe.

After the fireworks show, Andrew and I dragged our effigy of Guy Fawkes over to the bonfire. We held it up high as everyone began chanting the same chant that always rang out around the United Kingdom on Guy Fawkes night:

"Remember, remember the fifth of November,  
Gunpowder treason and plot.  
We see no reason  
Why gunpowder treason  
Should ever be forgot!

Guy Fawkes, guy, t'was his intent  
To blow up king and parliament.  
Three score barrels were laid below  
To prove old England's overthrow.

By god's mercy he was catch'd  
With a darkened lantern and burning match.  
So, holler boys, holler boys, Let the bells ring.  
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the king.

And what shall we do with him?  
Burn him!"

As soon as everyone yelled out, 'burn him!', Andrew and I tossed the Guy Fawkes effigy onto the bonfire. The wood and cloth immediately began burning, causing the fire to flare up like a beacon.

Charlie placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry I teased you, Sam. I guess you just need some more practice lighting fires. This is one of the best bonfires I've ever seen!"

"Thanks, Charlie. Hey, did you bring any marshmallows?"

"No, but Bronwyn did."

Smiling, I looked at Bronwyn. She handed me a stick and a handful of marshmallows. After I'd placed one of the marshmallows on the stick, I held it over the coals until it caught fire. Then, I carefully blew the flames out before pulling the gooey, sticky mess off the stick.

"I wish we could have Guy Fawkes night once a month, instead of once a year," Andrew said as he munched on his own marshmallows. "It's great seeing the whole town gather for the celebration."

"Yeah, it's great," I agreed. "Don't worry. We'll be gathering again next month, when the Christmas Tree is lit up. I think that's the best part of Christmas."

"Except that it's so cold," Andrew replied with a shiver. "Is it just me, or did it suddenly just get colder?"

At that moment, I heard something growl softly nearby. Cautiously, I stood up and I took a few steps away from the bonfire. Andrew joined me.

"What is it, Sam?"

"Shh! I thought I heard something…"

A few seconds later, I heard the growl getting closer. Turning to my left, I saw the silhouette of a fox creeping across the sand towards us. It was extremely skinny, and it looked like it was desperate to do anything for a good meal.

"Hey! It's a fox!" Andrew exclaimed.

Hearing the shouting, the fox whimpered and shrank back. Seeing the desperation in his eyes, I turned and looked up at Bronwyn.

"Bronwyn? Look at this poor fox," I said. "I think it's about to starve to death. Can we give it some sausages?"

"Of course, we can!" Bronwyn eagerly agreed. "I have some sausages that haven't been cooked yet. Come here, little fellow. That's it! Here you go."

Bronwyn set a plateful of sausages down in the sand. The fox cautiously walked towards it. We watched on as he devoured the sausages. Once he'd eaten them all, he disappeared back down the beach, but not before giving us a satisfied 'yap' in gratitude.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 18

 **May 1982**

"Okay, everyone," my English teacher, Mr Hendrix, said after he'd finished handing out the last test paper. "Even though this is only a practice test for your exams next week, I want you to treat it like it's the real thing. That means no whispering to your neighbour, and if I catch anyone cheating, they'll be caned. You may now turn over your test papers and begin. What is it, Sam?"

"Sir, you've misspelt 'Shakespeare'. You've transposed the 'e' and the 'a'."

"Thank you for pointing that out, Sam. I'm still getting used to using that new-fangled computer in the staff room. The keys aren't in alphabetical order. Now, if that's all, I'd like you to begin, please. Anyone who talks from now on will be caned."

With that threat hanging over our heads, I focused my attention on the first question, and I started writing.

About half an hour later, I'd just finished writing my answer to question eight, when the classroom's phone rang. I glanced up as Mr Hendrix went to answer it.

"Yes? I can't talk loudly because my students are doing a test… Oh. Is it urgent? I see… Okay, I'll send him there now. Bye." Mr Hendrix hung up the phone, and he came straight over to my desk. I looked up as he leaned over me. "Sam, your father's here to collect you. Take everything you need with you. You won't be coming back to school today. You can give me your test on your way out. I'll only mark up to where you got to."

Confused, I did as I was told. Dad rarely came to Newtown, and it had been a long time since I'd had to leave school during the middle of the day. Once I had my belongings together, I glanced at Daniel, Luke and Mark before making my way to Mr Hendrix's desk. "What's going on, sir?" I whispered as I handed over my incomplete test paper.

"I'm afraid I don't know myself," he replied. "It sounded serious though. I hope everything will be okay, and that we see you again tomorrow."

A knot formed in my stomach as I made my way down the hallway to my locker. When I was sure I had everything I needed, I went to the front office. Dad was standing in the reception with Gwen. They were both waiting for me.

"Hurry up, Sam!" dad snapped. "We need to get to the hospital."

Now I was really worried. "I just need to sign out, first."

"Hurry up!"

The receptionist already had the book open for me. After I'd signed out, dad grabbed me by my upper arm, and he all but dragged me out of the school gates, and over to the car. Gwen jogged after us.

"What is going on, dad?" I demanded to know.

"Bronwyn had a bad fall this morning," dad explained as we got into the car. "It caused her to go into labour prematurely, and so we've taken her to the hospital. Everyone else is already there."

"She's not going to die, is she?" Gwen asked fearfully from the backseat.

"We hope not," dad replied as he started the car and drove out of the school gates. "But she could also lose the babies."

 _Oh, no!_ "How's Charlie?"

"He's the one who begged me to fetch you. He really needs you, Sam."

I nodded in understanding. The rest of the journey to the hospital passed in silence. When we arrived, dad escorted us to the emergency department, where we found Gareth and Charlie in the waiting room. I'd brought my schoolbag with me, so I could study while we waited for news, but as soon as I saw the despair on Charlie's face, I knew that wasn't likely to happen. Charlie leapt up as soon as he saw me, and he pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here at last, Sam! I couldn't bear to go through this without you."

"Ahem!" Gwen snapped, stomping a foot. "I'm here too, you know!"

"That's enough, Gwen," Gareth told her firmly.

"Charlie! I need to breathe!" I gasped. Reluctantly, Charlie released his grip a little, but he continued to hug me.

At that moment, mum entered the waiting room, and she came straight over to us. "Charlie? I need to talk with you privately."

"No, mum," Charlie protested. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it to all of us."

"Very well then," mum agreed. "But let's go into a private room."

"The chapel is free," another nurse offered.

Together, we made our way into the hospital's chapel, which was just down the hall from the emergency waiting room. Once we were settled and alone, mum began to tell us her news.

"The doctors have managed to stabilise Bronwyn, but we can't stop the labour. Luckily, they're only a week away from their due date, so there shouldn't be any adverse effects if they're born now. However, Bronwyn is exhausted, and in no condition to give birth naturally. I know she wanted to have a natural birth, but Charlie, I need your consent for the doctors to perform an emergency caesarean."

Charlie looked stunned, and he tightened his grip around my hand, making me wince in pain.

"Will any of them be in any danger of dying?" he asked fearfully. I saw his lips tremble as he asked the question.

"Not if we perform the caesarean now," mum replied. She handed Charlie a clipboard with a consent form attached to it. Charlie skim-read it before signing the bottom of the form. Mum gave Charlie a quick hug, before she hurried out of the chapel.

…

Two hours later, I was curled up on one of the chapel's pews, leaning against Charlie, who was praying profusely, when mum finally returned. Charlie stood up so abruptly, that I couldn't stop my head and upper body from tumbling down onto the seat.

"Ow!" I muttered before I sat up.

"How is she, mum?" Charlie asked anxiously.

"Bronwyn's fine, Charlie," mum replied, smiling slightly. "She's asleep now, and the doctors are monitoring her closely."

"And the babies?"

Mum's smile broke into a grin. "Let's just say that your father and I now have two beautiful, healthy grandchildren!"

Relieved, Charlie collapsed onto the nearest pew.

"Wait," I said. "You said 'grandchildren'. Does that mean that there's a boy and a girl?"

Mum nodded excitedly. Stunned, I lay back down on my pew. "That means I was right! So, I get to help name them!"

Charlie laughed. "I suppose a deal's a deal, Sam! Can we go and see them, mum?"

"You may all see the babies, but only Charlie may visit Bronwyn for now."

Mum led us down the hall to a small waiting room, where a couple of nurses were waiting for us with the babies. Both babies were wrapped snuggly in soft white blankets. Excited, we immediately surrounded the new-borns.

"I can't believe it!" Charlie whispered. "I'm a father!"

Smiling, one of the nurses carefully handed her baby to Charlie. "This is the girl."

"She's beautiful!" Charlie had tears in his eyes. "Would you like to hold the boy, Sam?"

I stepped back in surprise. "Me? Hold a baby? Erm…"

"If you're nervous, you can sit down," the nurse holding the boy said. "Have you ever held a baby before?"

"No."

"It's really easy. That's it. Just sit down and relax. Just remember to keep the baby's head well-supported. Here you go."

Cautiously, I took my little nephew from the nurse. He yawned before settling down in my arms. "I think I'm too young to be an uncle."

"What are you going to name the babies?" one of the nurses asked. "We need to know, so we can issue their birth certificates."

"I don't know," Charlie replied. "What do you think, Sam?"

"I think we should stick with traditional names," I replied. "That way, they won't 'age'. I've been trying to come up with twin names that match. So far, the best I've thought of are Tina and Timothy."

Charlie shook his head. "Bronwyn won't like those names."

"What names does she like?" mum asked.

"She once told me that she loves the name Sarah. We could name the girl that."

"Why don't we name the boy Samuel to match?" Gareth suggested.

Mum cast me a withering scowl. " _One_ Samuel in the family is quite enough in my opinion!"

I blushed sheepishly. "Well, I've always liked the name James…"

"That's a great name, Sam!" Charlie agreed. "Who says that twin names have to match?"

"What about their middle names?" mum asked.

"How about Sarah Bronwyn, and James Charles?" Gareth suggested. "That way, they'll also have their parents' names."

Charlie nodded. "I like that. I'll just go and confirm with Bronwyn, before I tell the nurses."

Shortly after Charlie had left the room carrying Sarah, baby James began squirming and crying in my arms. The nurse kindly took him from me.

"He's just hungry," she explained. "I'll take him to Bronwyn."

"I don't envy Charlie and Bronwyn having two babies too look after," I said after the nurse had gone.

"I don't envy them either," mum agreed. "I was glad I waited four years after having Charlie before I had you!"

I pouted in response before changing the topic. "Can we go home now, please? I need to study for my exams next week."

"So do I," Gwen added.

Mum hesitated. "I want to stay until we know for sure that Bronwyn will be fine. Anything could happen in the next few hours."

As if on cue, a nurse entered the room, followed by granddad.

"I hear I'm now a great-grandfather," granddad said, beaming.

"You are indeed," dad replied. "They're with Charlie and Bronwyn now."

"What gender are they?"

"A boy and a girl," mum replied. "The best names we've come up with for them so far are Sarah and James."

Granddad nodded his approval. "Good choice. Traditional names never go out of fashion. I remember how hard it was for us to name Sam."

"Why does everyone have to keep picking on me today?" I complained.

"You react, that's why," dad replied, winking.

Sighing tiredly in defeat, I opened my backpack, and I took out my science book. Gwen sat down next to me.

"What are you studying, Sam?"

"Chemistry."

"Cool! Do you want to study together? We are in the same class for that subject, after all."

 _To my everlasting regret!_ "Sure, why not? I'm on page fifty-three, the paragraph about Mercury."

We smiled at each other. For some strange reason, I'd suddenly felt at ease around Gwen. Gwen opened her chemistry book.

"What is the freezing point of mercury?"

That was easy. "Minus thirty-eight degrees Celsius." I looked at my book. "What is the atomic number and symbol of mercury?"

"Um… The symbol is Hg… I forget the atomic number."

"It's eighty."

"Of course! I was getting mixed up with silver."

"Silver is forty-seven."

"How do you remember all that?"

I shrugged. "I just do. I can teach you, if you like."

"Yes, please! Otherwise, I'll never pass the exam next week."

"We can make up flash cards, and you can learn from that!"

"Great idea, Sam!" Gwen agreed. "You're really smart."

Blushing, I looked down at my book. "Um…" I cleared my throat when I heard my voice break slightly. "Why don't we move onto another element?"

I saw Gwen grin out of the corner of my eye _. Maybe she isn't that bad after all. In fact, she is rather pretty…_

"Sam? Gwen?" dad called, making us look up. "Pack up your books. I'm going to take you home now, so you can study in peace."

Breathing a sigh of relief, I snatched up my school books.

 **Thank you, Guest, for your kind comments. And yes, the little girl that Sam helped was Penny. I wasn't planning to include her in this story again though, so I'm sorry about that. That scene was just supposed to be a fun cameo appearance from her.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: All recognisable character belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 19

"She's so cute!" I whispered as I snuggled Sarah close to my chest. My new-born niece was sleeping contently in my arms. Bronwyn and the twins had arrived home from hospital the day before, and all of them were rather tired. Bronwyn was asleep upstairs, and so Charlie was feeding James from a bottle.

"I hope they don't stay this young for long," Charlie said. "I've found I'm not very good at changing nappies."

I chuckled just as the phone rang. Balancing Sarah with one arm, I picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Sam? It's mum. Can you come home for dinner now, please? Dr Roberts is joining us."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I couldn't remember Dr Roberts ever being invited to dine with us. It was most unusual.

"Uh…sure. I'll be there soon."

Mum hung up without saying goodbye. I put down the receiver.

"Mum wants me to go home now. Do you want me to put Sarah in her cot?"

"Yes, please. Just be careful when you go upstairs."

I nodded before I carefully carried Sarah upstairs to the nursery.

…

About ten minutes later, I arrived home. I found mum just putting the finishing touches to the dinner table.

"Why is Doctor Roberts coming for dinner, mum?"

"I have some things I need to discuss with him, so I thought we could do that after dinner. It was just easier to have him around. He's in the sitting room with your father. Can you please go and tell them that dinner is ready?"

"Sure."

I headed into the sitting room. "Dinner's ready," I announced.

Before long, the four of us were seated at the table. Once we'd helped ourselves to whatever we wanted, the conversation began. It soon became clear that mum had an ulterior motive for inviting Dr Roberts for dinner.

"Sam's going to be graduating at the end of June," mum began. "Two days after his birthday as well."

"And he's going to be the youngest student to ever graduate from the Newtown Grammar School," dad added proudly.

"That's only because I was moved up a grade, remember?"

"Have you given much thought as to what you want to do for a career, Sam?" Dr Roberts asked.

"I have, actually."

Now it was mum's turn to raise her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh? You've never said anything. What do you want to do?"

"I want to become a fireman."

Mum's fork fell from her hand. It clanged loudly when it hit the floorboards. Dad leaned over to pick it up.

"Well that's…different," Dr Roberts managed to say.

I looked down at my plate. This was not the reaction I'd been expecting. "What's wrong with me wanting to become a fireman?"

"Oh, Sam!" mum exclaimed. "You're too smart to waste your life doing THAT! I want you to go to Oxford or Cambridge."

"Your school principle told us the other day that you're on track to get dux of your class," dad added. "If you get that, you'll get a scholarship to Cardiff University."

"Your parents want you to become a doctor, Sam," Dr Roberts explained.

 _What?_ I gulped to try and control the anger that was starting to rage inside me. I took a sip of water before I spoke. "Well, that isn't what I want to do. It's my life, and nothing you say will make me change my mind."

"You were almost killed in the house fire, Sam!" mum blurted out. "Do you honestly imagine that we could live with the thought of you being surrounded by flames every single day?"

I exhaled deeply with frustration. "But that's exactly why I want to do this, mum! It's so I can help save lives, just like Fireman Steele saved mine."

Mum bristled. "I will NOT let you join the fire brigade, Samuel, and that's final!"

I stood up so abruptly that my chair fell over backwards. "And I will NEVER become a doctor!" I shouted. "You know I faint every time I get a needle. How on earth do you expect me to be able to give what I can't take myself? I am sick and tired of having you always telling me what to do! Just because you were never good enough to become a doctor, that doesn't mean that I have to do it for you!"

Mum's jaw dropped in astonishment. But before she could speak, Dad stood up as well. He pointed towards the stairs.

"Go to your room, Samuel! I will not let you speak to your mother like that, especially in front of a guest!"

"Don't mind me," Dr Roberts muttered. "I'm enjoying this!"

I glared furiously at my parents. "Make me," I said so coldly that I could have formed a wall off ice between us. Then, I turned and ran out of the house through the front door.

"Sam? Come back here this instant!" I heard mum yelling as the door slammed closed behind me.

I continued running, up the street and down towards the quay. I had no idea where I was going, nor did I care. All I knew was that I had to get away from that atmosphere.

Somehow, I ended up down at the beach. I started walking along the edge, avoiding the water as it lapped in and out with the gentle, rolling waves. I enjoyed being down on the beach at night, especially when there was a full moon like tonight. I took my time, wandering aimlessly back and forth along the shore. Now I wish that I hadn't told my parents about my desire to become a fireman. However, my biggest regret was that I'd allowed myself to lose my temper. Mum and I were both equally as stubborn as each other, so I knew there was no easy way out of this.

Finally, after I'd been walking for over an hour, I decided to turn back. I'd calmed down by now, and I was regretting not wearing a coat. Even though it was late springtime, it was a cool night, and a strong wind was blowing on the beach. I wrapped my arms around myself, to help keep myself warm.

I was halfway back to the quay, when I saw lights coming towards me. One of the lights hit me full in the face, making me flinch and look away.

"Sam?"

It was Fireman Steele. I walked over to him and Station Officer Boyce.

"Are you okay?" Station Officer Boyce asked.

I nodded. "I just needed some time to myself."

Fireman Steele wrapped a blanket around my shoulders. "You shouldn't have run off like that. Your parents are worried sick!"

I decided to keep my thoughts to myself this time. I knew I was too outspoken, and it was time I learned to just not say anything if I didn't need to. Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele escorted me over to the quay. As we climbed the stairs, I saw my family standing at the top of the stairs.

"See?" Charlie said proudly to mum and dad. "I told you he'd be down on the beach or in the forest."

"Lucky he was on the beach," Fireman Steele said. "We might never have found him in the forest."

"Is he okay, Station Officer Boyce?" mum asked. I could hear the concern in her voice.

"Yes. He's just a bit cold."

Reluctantly, I climbed the rest of the stairs, and I let mum embrace me. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, mum," I apologised. "But that doesn't mean I've changed my mind."

"We'll talk about it later," mum replied. "Let's get you home."

"Don't think for a moment that you've escaped punishment, Sam," dad warned.

I didn't. As soon as we got home, dad took me upstairs to my room where he gave me three solid hits with his belt. It was rare for him to belt me, so I was left in tears by the time he was done. Since I was still only fourteen, I didn't feel like I was too old to receive such a punishment. And I knew that I'd thoroughly deserved it.

Mum came to see me after a little while. I'd stopped crying by then, and I was lying on my bed, studying.

"When's your last exam?"

"Tomorrow. Then, we're just going to have fun for the rest of the week. After that, I'll be on holidays until September."

Knowing that I'd be sore after dad's punishment, mum gently removed my shoes for me. "You know I only want what's best for you, Sam. As the oldest, Charlie was destined to inherit your father's business. But you have the opportunity to do something worthwhile with your life. I just don't want to see you waste it on a job that isn't going to provide you with much income."

"Money doesn't buy happiness," I replied without looking up from my book.

"Honestly, I think you're smart enough to become a scientist," mum muttered. "That's enough studying now. Time for bed."

I didn't bother protesting. As I sat up, mum planted a gentle kiss on my forehead.

"Good night."

"Nos da."

…

A few days later, on my way home from school, I made a detour to the fire station. I found Fireman Steele inside the engine bay, testing some equipment.

"Hello Fireman Steele," I greeted him.

"Hi Sam. I hope you've recovered from your little adventure the other night?"

"Honestly, you all made a big fuss over nothing. I could never get lost around Pontypandy. I know many places that you don't. But I didn't come here to discuss that."

"Well, I'm afraid I don't have any jobs for you right now."

"I've come to see Station Officer Boyce."

"Oh? He's in his office. Follow me."

Fireman Steele escorted me to Station Officer Boyce's office. The door was open, so he knocked lightly on it.

Station Officer Boyce looked up. "Oh, hello, Sam. What can I do for you?"

I took a few steps into the office. "I'd like to know how I would go about applying to join the fire service, please."

Station Officer Boyce smiled. "So, you've definitely decided that you want to become a fireman then?"

"Yes. The only problem is, my parents don't want me to join. I'm going to need their permission, aren't I?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so, since you're under eighteen. And that's another problem. You do need to be at least seventeen and a half before you can apply to join the service. They won't take you before that age."

"Oh." I immediately felt bitterly disappointed.

Station Officer Boyce stood up and he went over to one of the filing cabinets. "Don't be upset. There is one option open to you. You are old enough to become a Fire Cadet."

"What's that?"

Station Officer Boyce removed a sheet of paper from the filing cabinet, and he handed it to me before he answered. "It's a basic training program for teenagers. You'll need to attend a fire station once a week for three hours, where you'll get to learn how to use most of the equipment. If you do well in that, and you still want to continue your career as a fireman, you will stand a good chance of being selected to join a fire training academy."

"I like the sound of that. Thanks. No doubt mum will still want me to attend university though…"

"If you attend university in Cardiff, you could attend a Fire Cadet course at a station there," Station Officer Boyce suggested. "Cardiff is probably the best place for you to train as a fireman. You'll learn ten times more there than you could ever hope to learn at the Newtown Academy."

I nodded. What Station Officer Boyce said made sense. Since grandad lived in Cardiff, I knew I could live with him, and I could undertake fireman training without my parents even knowing. Plus, I could still study just like mum wanted me to do, and I would earn a degree that I could fall back on if I needed it. It was a win-win situation for everyone.

"Thank you for your help, Station Officer Boyce. I think I know what to do now."

"You're welcome. And good luck. I know you'll make a brilliant fireman one day."

"I hope so too," I said as I left the office.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 20

A few weeks later, I graduated from school with an A level and several awards in science. I also did receive dux of my class, which came with a scholarship to Cardiff University. The scholarship would cover the full tuition costs for any degree I chose. Basically, the doors were wide open for me. I could do whatever I wanted as far as my further education was concerned.

…

 **One Month Later**

"Are you sure you have everything you need?" mum asked as I closed my suitcase. "You don't seem to be taking much."

"I don't have much, mum, and besides, they do have shops in Cardiff, you know."

"There's no need to be cheeky, Sam, just because you're going away."

I looked sadly around my bedroom for the last time. _So, this is it, then. I'm actually leaving home._

Charlie poked his head inside my bedroom. "Granddad's ready to go, Sam. He said you'd better get a move on if you're to get to Cardiff before nightfall."

I picked up my suitcase and followed Charlie downstairs. Granddad took my suitcase from me, and he carried it outside to his car without saying a word. Dad pulled me into his arms.

"Now, you be good, and do everything your grandfather tells you to do, okay?"

"Sure, dad."

I felt mum join in our hug from behind me. "I can't believe you're the first of my sons to leave Pontypandy!"

"Neither can I," Charlie muttered.

We ended the embrace, and I turned to hug Charlie and Bronwyn.

"We'll really miss you," Bronwyn told me. A tear fell from her eye.

"I'll miss you too. And I'm going to miss seeing Sarah and James grow up."

"You'll be back for Christmas," Charlie reminded me.

"Yes."

A sniffle caught my attention. It was Gwen. "Do you have to go, Sam? I don't know what I'll do without you."

"You'll be fine. And, yes, I do have to go. There aren't any universities in Pontypandy or Newtown."

"I wish I wasn't still at school, so I could go with you."

I blushed profusely. Seeing my embarrassment, Granddad decided to save me, so he coughed from the doorway. "Come on, Sam. We need to go now."

I followed granddad outside, and I climbed into his car. My family gathered on the front doorstep to wave goodbye.

"Make sure he studies hard and stays healthy," mum told granddad.

"I will," granddad promised. He climbed into the driver's seat. "Fancy an ice cream on our trip?"

"Yes, please!" I grinned, knowing that granddad was prepared to spoil me, despite his promise to mum.

Granddad started up his car, and he started to drive down the street. I leaned out of the window, waving to my family until I could no longer see them.

Although this wasn't the first time I'd ever travelled to Cardiff, this was the first time I was old enough to remember the trip. The countryside changed from coastal and mountainous to industrial and suburban the closer we got to Cardiff. After about an hour of driving, granddad pulled into a petrol station to refill the car. He returned from paying with two ice creams, one of which he gave to me.

"Here you go, Sam. You like peppermint, don't you?"

"I love it! Thanks!"

Granddad turned back onto the main road. We ate our ice creams as he drove.

"So, what kind of house do you live in, granddad?"

"Oh, just a townhouse. It's not that different to the ones in Pontypandy, actually. It's down near the harbour, so it's a bit of a distance from the city centre. I can drive you to and from university, until you become familiar with the bus routes."

"Thanks. I appreciate that. And, what about my Fire Cadet training?"

"That'll happen once a week on Wednesday evenings at the Cardiff Central Fire Station. It's the biggest fire station in Cardiff, and the headquarters of the Cardiff Fire Brigade. I'd prefer to drive you to and from the fire station as well, since you're too young to be on the streets at night."

"But it's not far from the university. I could easily walk there in less than ten minutes."

"We can discuss it more once you know your schedule. I know you want independence, Sam, but you've only just turned fifteen."

"I know…"

"Don't sound so disappointed. You're lucky the university accepted you."

"They only did that because I won their scholarship."

"But they know how smart you are. They wouldn't have accepted you this year if they didn't think you could handle it."

I pointed to a city off in the distance. "Is that Cardiff?"

"It is indeed. We should be home in about fifteen minutes."

A few minutes later, we turned off the M4, and we entered the city. It was hard to describe Cardiff as a city though. It wasn't like London or other big cities. I couldn't see many buildings that were over four stories tall, and it wasn't crowded like I'd expected it to be.

After we'd wound our way through the narrow streets, granddad turned into an alleyway, and he parked in front of a garage that was behind a Victorian townhouse.

"Welcome to your new home, Sam," granddad said as he got out.

I climbed out too, and I looked around. The house really was just like the ones in Pontypandy, only this one was a little bigger and fancier.

Granddad removed my suitcase from the car's boot, and he lead the way inside through the back door. Although the exterior of the house was Victorian, the interior was modern and minimalist.

"Now then, Sam. Follow me upstairs, and we'll get you settled."

Granddad showed me upstairs. I followed him into one of the front bedrooms.

"I hope this will be comfortable for you," granddad said as he placed my suitcase down on the bed. "It might be a bit noisy with all the traffic going past, but there's only one bedroom at the back, and that's mine."

"Thank you, granddad. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Right, well, I'll leave you to get unpacked."

After granddad had gone downstairs, I went over to the bay window, and I sat down on the window seat, so I could look out at the street below. Granddad had decorated the bedroom in a light grey and white colour scheme. There was a double bed, a desk, a bookshelf and a cupboard in the room. I knew I'd be comfortable, but I was already starting to feel a bit homesick.

 _Hopefully, it won't take me long to make some new friends_ , I thought as I watched the traffic going by _. I'm sure that'll help me get settled. I just hope I can become a good fireman. Otherwise, I don't know what I'll do with myself._

…

Three days later, granddad drove me to the Cardiff Central Fire Station for my first evening of Fire Cadet training. I stared up at the building as I got out of the car. There were three fire engine bays, and the building was five stories tall. One of the firemen saw us arrive, and he came over to us.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"My grandson, Sam, is here to begin as a Fire Cadet," granddad explained.

"You'd better follow me. I'll take you to see the Station Officer." We headed inside the fire station, and we ascended the stairs. "By the way, I'm Leading Fireman McArthur. Have you always wanted to become a fireman, Sam?"

"No," I replied, perhaps a little too bluntly.

"Oh? What made you change your mind?"

"A number of things. I think it's an honourable career path to follow."

"You're not a reforming firebug, are you?"

"Why do you think I am?"

Fireman McArthur smiled. "Because most firemen are."

I quickly bit my bottom lip. I still felt guilty whenever I thought about the house fire. We reached the top of the second flight of stairs, and Leading Fireman McArthur escorted us down the hallway to an office. He knocked on the door.

"Come in."

We entered the office. The Station Officer looked up from his desk. He must've been in his late forties at least, with slightly greying brunette hair and a stocky build.

"Sorry to disturb you, sir," Fireman McArthur said. "Our new recruit for the Fire Cadets has arrived."

"Thank you, Patrick. You may return to your duties now."

Fireman McArthur left us, closing the door behind him. The Station Officer gestured for us to sit down, so we did.

"I'm Station Officer Darren Michaels, and I presume that you are Mr Jones?"

"Yes," granddad answered. "And this is my grandson, Sam. He's very keen to join the Fire Cadets."

I saw Station Officer Michaels take out my application form from a folder on his desk. "I'm sure he is. But, I couldn't help noticing that you signed his application form. Are you his legal guardian?"

"I am now that he's living with me," granddad replied. "His parents aren't as supportive of his wish to become a fireman."

"I see…"

"I've been doing some volunteer work at the Pontypandy Fire Station," I supplied. I was worried that he might refuse to accept me into the Fire Cadets because of my parents. "Station Officer Boyce recommended that I join the Fire Cadets until I'm old enough to join the Fire Academy."

"I know Boyce. He's a good fireman, and an old friend of mine. All right, Sam. We'll give you a trial." Station Officer Michaels looked at granddad. "You can come back here to collect him at nine o'clock. Don't worry about his dinner. We'll provide it for him each week."

"Thank you." Granddad smiled proudly at me. "Stay out of mischief, you hear?"

I smiled sweetly. "Hwyl tad-cu."

Station Officer Michaels opened his office door. "Fireman Silverton? Could you please show Mr Jones downstairs to his car?"

"Yes, sir."

After granddad had gone, Station Officer Michaels took me upstairs to the third floor. We entered a room that was like a huge walk-in-wardrobe. Uniforms of all sizes hung from coatracks, and helmets were stacked up on top of each other.

"Right, Sam. Let's find you a uniform that fits."

"I wasn't expecting to get a uniform!" I said excitedly.

"Everyone gets a uniform, even our Cadets. It'll help protect you while you're learning how to fight fires. Here. Try this jacket on."

Before long, I was fully kitted out in my new uniform. It consisted of yellow patent leather pants, a black woollen jacket with silver buttons, and of course, a yellow firefighting helmet with the station's logo on it. My helmet also had a large black dot on each side.

"That's to let everyone know that you're a Cadet," Station Officer Michaels explained before I could even ask. "When you get older and more experienced, you might be allowed out on callouts with us. Now, let's assign you to a locker, and then we'll go have dinner. Your uniform is not to leave the station, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

About fifteen minutes later, after I'd placed my helmet and jacket inside my assigned locker, I followed Station Officer Michaels into the mess hall. There were about twenty other firemen inside the room, all tucking into their dinner.

"Can I have your attention please, everyone?" Station Officer Michaels shouted. The chatter immediately ceased. "Thank you. Now, I'd like to introduce our newest Cadet to you." He placed his hands on my shoulders. "This is Fire Cadet Sam Jones. I hope you'll all help him feel welcome and assist him if he needs it."

There was a spattering of applause from the firemen. Station Officer Michaels handed me a plate, and I went over to the kitchen servery to get my dinner. Once I had what I wanted for dinner, I sat down at the table between a boy about my age, and Leading Fireman McArthur.

"I'm Simon Jules," the boy said. "It'll be great having another Cadet around. I've been lonely ever since the last boy left. Where are you from?"

"Pontypandy."

"Never heard of it."

"It's near Newtown."

Simon shook his head. "I don't know that place either. I've never left Cardiff."

"Ydych chi'n siarad Cymraeg?"

"What?"

I sighed sadly. "Never mind." _I hope I can find someone who can speak Welsh._

"Did you just speak in Welsh?" Simon asked.

I nodded slightly. Simon stood up.

"Hey, everyone! We've got a Welshie here!"

"Sit down, Cadet Jules!" Fireman McArthur snapped. "Just because Cadet Jones can speak his native language, there's no need for you to make a song and dance about it."

Simon sat down. "At least we now have a nickname for him."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Cadet Jules?" Station Officer Michaels said as he sat down at the head of the long table. "This is not the London Fire Brigade. We do not have nicknames in the Cardiff Fire Brigade. You will address each other formally and respect each other's differences. Hands up those of you who can speak Welsh."

I, and four other firemen put up our hands. Station Officer Michaels nodded in my direction.

"There you go, Cadet Jones. You may talk to these fellows if you want to speak in Welsh. I don't mind conversations in Welsh, just as long as you change to English if a non-Welsh speaker joins in."

"Understood, sir," I said shyly.

At that moment, the station's alarms went off. With a collective groan of annoyance, the firemen leap up, grabbing at the marker pens scattered all over the table. I watched as each fireman quickly wrote his initials on the edge of their plate before racing out of the room. In less than a minute, only Station Officer Michaels, Simon and myself were left at the table. Station Officer Michaels gestured with his head towards the windows behind us.

"Have a look, Sam."

I went over to the windows, and I opened one of them in time to see two fire appliances exit the station directly below me, with their lights and sirens going. I smiled as I stared out at the night time city skyline.

 _Maybe I will get used to this. I hope I do, because this is exactly what I want to do. I can't wait until I'm allowed out on a callout._

"Sam?" Station Officer Michaels called kindly. "Shut the window. Your dinner's getting cold."

I immediately obeyed.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 21

Within a month, I'd settled into my new routine. I found university a bit overwhelming at first, but I soon made a few friends, so that helped. I was the youngest student in the chemistry faculty, which did raise some concern amongst my tutors, however I soon proved that I was able to keep up with my studies.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of my week was on Wednesday evenings when I would go to the Cardiff Central Fire Station for my cadet training. Since I was new, I spent the first few weeks just studying theory. I quickly learned not to bother the senior officers, and to stay well out of the way whenever the alarms went off. I also learned the correct way to slide down the fireman's pole without blistering my hands. Station Officer Michaels assured me that once my hands calloused, I wouldn't get blisters. However, I preferred to use my arms to control my slide. Some of the firemen at the station were confident enough to slide down using only one arm, but I preferred to use two.

On my fifth week as a Fire Cadet, Granddad dropped me off at the fire station just before six o'clock in the evening. We had a watch changeover at precisely 6pm, and although the Fire Cadets didn't have to join in, it was encouraged.

I hurried upstairs to change into my new station uniform. I'd only received the station uniform the week before, so I was excited to wear it. The uniform consisted of thick navy-blue pants, and a navy cotton shirt with the Cardiff Fire Brigade's logo on the upper left-hand sleeve. There were short sleeved shirts for summer, and long-sleeved shirts for winter. Since it was early autumn, I put on my short-sleeved shirt. Because I was a Cadet, I didn't have to wear the full uniform when presenting for rollcall, unlike the full-time firemen.

An alarm sounded around the station. It wasn't the emergency alarm. This one was quieter and a different tone, but I knew what it meant. It was our signal to fall in downstairs for rollcall.

I joined in the mad scramble as White Watch hurried downstairs. Some of the firemen used the stairs, but most of us decided to use the fireman's poles. I liked to use the poles for practice. As soon as I'd reached the ground floor, I ran over to where the rest of the watch were lining up and I fell into place at the end of the line. I was just in time, because at that moment, Station Officer Michaels and Sub-Officer Smithers emerged from the watch room.

"White watch!" Sub-Officer Smithers shouted. "Atten-shun!"

In perfect unison, we immediately snapped to attention. Sub-Officer Smithers then began to take the roll. Knowing that I was the last name on the list, I stood quietly, staring at the brick wall straight ahead of me.

"…Fire Cadet Jules," Sub-Officer Smithers finally called.

"Here," Simon replied from beside me.

"And Fire Cadet Jones."

"Here," I answered.

"Excellent. All present, sir," Sub-Officer Smithers reported to Station Officer Michaels. "Do you have any announcements you wish to make?"

Station Officer Michaels walked over to one of the firemen standing about halfway down the line. "Fireman Bridges! Where is your torch?"

"I loaned it to Fireman Wilson from Green Watch, sir. He couldn't find his yesterday when he came on duty."

"I don't care!" Station Officer Michaels snapped. "If he's lost a piece of his equipment, then that's his problem! You had no right to loan him any of your equipment! Now you're the one who's going to be disciplined. I'll see you in my office immediately after rollcall. I'm putting you on a charge, and I'll be personally informing Station Officer Harcourt about Fireman Wilson's missing torch. This could seriously affect your probationary period, you know."

"Yes, sir," Fireman Bridges replied. I heard him gulp nervously.

Station Officer Michaels continued down the line, inspecting our uniforms closely. He finally stopped in front of Simon and myself.

"After rollcall is over, I want you two to fetch a couple of training hoses and meet me over near the training tower," he instructed in a much gentler tone.

"Yes, sir," we answered in unison.

Nodding, Station Officer Michaels returned to where Sub-Officer Smithers was standing. I bit my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling. From the sound if it, I hoped that today I'd get to use a full-sized firehose for the very first time. I was really excited about that prospect, but I knew I couldn't show my excitement while I was on parade.

"White Watch!" Sub-Officer Smithers shouted. "To your duties! Dismissed!"

We promptly did a right turn and took a step before we fell out of line. But before we could do anything else, the alarms went off. I saw Sub-Officer Smithers dive inside the watch room to collect the print out from the fax machine. At the same time, the firemen scrambled to get inside the fire appliances.

"Pump-ladder only!" Sub-Officer Smithers shouted as he left the watch room with the print out. "Boy stuck up a tree in Bute Park, Corbett Road entrance."

A collective groan arose from the firemen on the two pumpers.

"Cadet Jones?" Sub-Officer Smither called. "Open the doors for the pump-ladder."

Seeing that I was quite close to the rope, I ran over to it. The ropes opened the garage doors, but you had to pull on them like the ropes used to ring the bells in cathedrals. Yanking hard on the rope, I managed to open the sideway folding doors, and the pump-ladder drove away with the lights flashing. As soon as the pump-ladder had cleared the doorway, the driver turned on the siren. I watched it go, wishing that I could be on it.

Once the appliance was out of sight, I started to close the doors. Unfortunately, the doors weren't as easy to close as they were to open. They had to be manually pulled closed.

"I'll take care of closing the doors, Sam," one of the firemen kindly offered. "You'd better go, or you'll be late for training."

"Thank you!" I gushed, before I hurried over to the cupboard where the training equipment was stored. Simon was already there, trying to pick up one of the training hoses.

"Stop, Simon!" I exclaimed. "You'll hurt yourself trying to pick it up that way."

"And how would you know?" Simon spat. "You've only been here a month."

Shaking my head, I bent down, and I manoeuvred one of the training hoses up onto my left-hand shoulder, exactly as Fireman Steele had taught me. I then placed my left hand around the top of the coiled hose, and I picked up a brass nozzle with my right hand. I knew there were other methods for carrying the hoses, but since I was still growing, this was the safest and easiest method. I could now carry the hose without straining myself.

Leaving Simon straining to carry his hose, I walked across the yard to where the training tower stood. I was yet to go inside the tower, but I hoped that it wouldn't be long before I did.

A few minutes later, Station Officer Michaels joined me. "You may put that hose down now, Sam. Did you figure out how to carry it that way, or did somebody teach you?"

"Fireman Steele taught me," I replied as I set the hose down as gently as I could.

"Fireman Steele?"

"Yes, He's one of the firemen in the Pontypandy brigade. What are we doing today?"

"I'll tell you once Simon gets here. Where is he?"

"I left him struggling with his hose. He didn't want my help."

"I see. Stay here. I'll go and get him."

About five minutes later, Station Officer Michaels returned with Simon, who was now carrying his hose the way I had.

"…And if you'd just let Sam help you, we would have started by now," Station Officer Michaels told Simon.

Simon threw his hose down carelessly at my feet. "Teacher's pet!" he hissed under his breath. I decided to ignore him.

Station Officer Michaels cleared his throat. "Tonight, boys, you are going to learn how to unroll hoses, connect them to an outlet, and add extensions."

"I already know how to do all that," Simon complained.

"But Sam probably doesn't, so you can help teach him," Station Officer Michaels told him firmly.

Simon scowled at me. I smiled slightly. _This should be fun!_

"Let's start by seeing how well you can both unroll a hose. Don't be upset if you can't get it the first time, Sam. This skill takes many years to master, and…"

While he was still speaking, I bowled my coiled hose as straight as possible. Station Officer Michaels and Simon stared in disbelief as my hose unrolled itself perfectly across the yard. Even I was surprised, because it was the first time I'd managed to unroll a hose perfectly. I wasn't about to tell them that though. Grinning, I turned to face them.

"Any questions?"

Station Officer Michaels swallowed before he spoke. "You've had practice, haven't you?"

I nodded. "Fireman Steele taught me."

"What else did he teach you?"

"Quite a lot. How to roll hoses back up, how to join them together, how to use a fire extinguisher, how to clean the appliances…"

"Too bad he didn't teach you how to put out fires," Simon scoffed.

"I was coming to that."

Station Officer Michaels placed a hand on my shoulder. "I think we can safely say that your trial period is now over, Sam. You'll be staying on here as a Cadet. Off you go now, Simon. Show us what you can do."

Simon couldn't contain his jealously, or his anger. He threw his hose as hard as he could, up into the air instead of along the ground. It came down with a bounce before it fell over onto its side. Only a couple of metres had been unrolled.

"Fire Cadet Simon Jules!" Station Officer Michaels roared. "That is exactly how you break hoses! Go up to my office immediately! I'm phoning your parents to come and pick up. Sam, you may remain in the yard and continue practicing rolling and unrolling the hoses. I'll be back shortly."

"Yes, sir."

By the time Station Officer Michaels returned, I was getting bored unrolling hoses.

"What's going to happen to Simon, sir?" I asked.

"I've banned him from coming here for the next three weeks. He's jealous of you, you know."

"Really? Why?"

'Because he thinks you're better at this than he is."

"If he took the time to learn and practice like I did, maybe he would be as good as me," I replied without thinking.

Station Officer Michaels nodded. "You're right. But your smugness isn't helping the situation either. Now, would you like to learn how to put out a fire with the hose?"

"Yes, please, sir!"

"All right. I'll set up a fire in a crib. You can connect that hose to the hydrant over there."

I immediately unrolled my hose again, and I carried one end over to the hydrant. _This is going to be fantastic!_

Before long, I'd successfully extinguished the fire inside the crib, using the hose. It was very satisfying, and I couldn't wait to put out more fires.

…

 _Why do I feel so hot?_ I wondered as I left the Chemistry School building at university just over a week later.

It was now October, and autumn was in full swing. However, over the past couple of days, I hadn't been feeling quite myself. I'd been lethargic and disinterested in everything, even my Fire Cadet training that had happened the day before. I'd hardly touched my breakfast this morning, prompting Granddad to ask me if I was feeling homesick. I'd said that I was a little, which seemed to satisfy him. But now, after a long day at university, all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep.

 _Thank goodness it's a long weekend because of the Bank Holiday, and I don't have classes on Fridays, so I can spend the next four days sleeping,_ I thought as I made my way over to granddad's car. He smiled as I climbed in.

"How was university today?" granddad asked.

"It was okay, I guess."

Granddad's smile faded. "Sam, are feeling all right? You look half asleep, and your face is flushed."

"I think I've been overdoing things a little, that's all."

Granddad reached over, and he placed the back of his hand against my forehead. "You're burning up! I wouldn't be at all surprised if you've caught the flu bug that's been going around. I'm taking you straight to the doctor."

 _Great! Just what I didn't need._ "I'll be okay, granddad. Really. I just need to sleep, and I'll be fine."

Granddad shook his head firmly as he started up his car. "Sorry, but that's not going to happen. Your mother will kill me if anything happens to you. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Knowing that nothing I said would change granddad's mind, I sighed heavily in defeat.

All too soon, we arrived at the doctor's surgery that granddad liked to use. It wasn't busy, so we got an appointment right away with granddad's usual doctor, Dr Murphy.

"What can I do for you today, Mr Jones?" Dr Murphy asked once we were alone inside his office.

"I've brought my grandson, Sam, to see you, because I'm sure he's coming down with the flu. He hasn't been himself the past couple of days, and now he has a fever."

"It has been going around," Dr Murphy mused. "Sit up on the table, Sam, so I can take a look at you."

I reluctantly did as I was told. Dr Murphy took a thermometer out of a drawer, and he came over to me. Before he could ask, I opened my mouth, so he could place the end of the thermometer under my tongue. Once it was in place, I closed my mouth.

"Now, have you had any headaches, muscle soreness or any coughing or sneezing?" Dr Murphy asked.

I shook my head.

"Just feeling a bit run down then, right?"

I nodded. Dr Murphy gently felt the glans in my neck for a moment.

"How much sleep have you been getting each night, on average?"

I held up six fingers. Dr Murphy shook his head and he looked at granddad.

"How old is he?"

"Fifteen," granddad replied.

"He should be getting at least eight to ten hours sleep each night. I suppose his schoolwork has been keeping him up late, right?"

"Actually, Sam's at university," granddad explained. "I haven't really been paying attention to what time he's been going to bed."

"Perhaps you should. Teenagers often think they're getting enough sleep, and most of the time, they're not."

Dr Murphy removed the thermometer from my mouth, and he looked at it. "Thirty-eight point eight," he read. "He's definitely got a fever, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he has the flu. I'll just listen to his lungs."

Dr Murphy took his stethoscope from around his neck, and he placed the ends in his ears. I turned sideways on the table, so he could easily place the disk against my back. We were silent for a few minutes while Dr Murphy listened to my lungs.

"Cough for me please, Sam."

I did so. Dr Murphy removed his stethoscope, and he looked at granddad.

"He's a bit congested, but he's not showing any other flu symptoms. He's probably in the earliest stages of it, or he's got an infection somewhere. Have you injured yourself at all recently, Sam?"

"No."

Dr Murphy looked at granddad again. "A blood test will determine whether or not it's the flu, but by the time we get the results back, he'll probably have the flu anyway. What would you like to do?"

I looked at granddad. "I just want to go home and sleep."

Granddad nodded in understanding. "All right, Sam." He turned to Dr Murphy. "Is there anything we can do to lower his fever?"

Dr Murphy shook his head. "Unfortunately, there's not much that we can do for him, except to let him rest. Makes sure he drinks plenty of water, but don't make him eat if he doesn't want to. Give him some paracetamol if the fever goes any higher, and make sure he doesn't do any studying."

"But I have an assignment due next Thursday!" I protested.

"I'll phone the university and tell them that you're sick," granddad said firmly. "I'm sure they'll give you an extension."

"Couldn't I dictate it to you, and you write it down? I really only need to finish the conclusion."

"We'll see. Let's get you home now. Thanks Doctor."


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 22

When I awoke the following morning, I knew for certain that I had the flu. Not only was my fever raging, my throat was also burning, and my nose was blocked. When I sat up, I started coughing.

Once the coughing spasms had past, I flopped back down onto my pillow, feeling completely exhausted. Since there was nothing else I could do, I settled down to go back to sleep.

Sometime later, I felt a hand gently brush my fringe up off my forehead. Whimpering, I rolled over onto my back.

"How are you feeling, Sam?" granddad asked me tenderly.

"Not good," I whispered hoarsely.

Granddad felt my forehead again. "I'd better take your temperature. You feel hotter than you did yesterday."

I let granddad place the thermometer in my mouth. While we waited for it, I glanced over at the clock on top of my dresser. It was eleven-fifteen in the morning. _I've slept for about eighteen hours!_ I thought, shocked. Granddad removed the thermometer from my mouth. He whistled softly when he read it

"Thirty-eight point one. I'd better get you some paracetamol, and then I'll phone your parents."

"No! Please, don't tell them, granddad!" I begged. "Mum will only make a fuss."

"That's her job," granddad reminded me. "I'll be back in a minute. Do you think you can swallow a pill, or would you prefer a capsule?"

"Capsule."

Granddad returned a few minutes later with a paracetamol capsule and a glass of water. Despite my sore throat, I managed to swallow the capsule.

"There now," granddad soothed. "Hopefully, that should do you some good."

"I'm late for my university classes," I muttered, concerned.

"Never mind about that now, Sam. You're too sick to go anywhere."

"If mum comes here, she's going to find out about my Fire Cadet training." I was starting to fret with worry, but just as quickly, I collapsed back onto my pillows, exhausted. Without saying another word, Granddad tucked me in snugly before he quietly left my room.

…

Once Tomos was sure that Sam was asleep, he went downstairs to phone his son and daughter-in-law. He knew that David wouldn't be too concerned about Sam, but he was sure that Mary would be worried. After all, Sam was he youngest son and therefore her baby. He was amazed that she'd even let Sam leave Pontypandy at all.

Tomos picked up the phone's receiver and he dialled the number without thinking about it. Mary answered after four rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mary. It's Tomos."

"Hi Tomos. How are you going? Is Sam okay?"

"Actually, that's what I'm ringing you about. Sam's come down with the flu. I took him to see my doctor yesterday, but there wasn't much he could do. I've just given Sam some paracetamol to help lower his temperature."

"What is his temperature now?" Mary asked.

"Thirty-eight point one."

"I'm coming."

"There's no need, Mary. Sam's fine. He's sleeping right now."

"I don't care what you say. I'm coming to see how he is for myself."

Tomos sighed in defeat. _I knew you would._ "All right. I'll prepare the spare bedroom for you then. See you in a few hours."

Mary hung up the phone without even saying goodbye. Tomos put down his receiver with a heavy sigh. _Guess I'd better go and prepare the guest room._

…

Loud talking woke me several hours later. I lay quietly for several minutes while I tried to make out what was being said. I sighed with annoyance when I recognised mum's voice.

I sniffled as I tried to breathe through my nostrils, but it was to no avail. My lungs were too congested to enable me to breathe normally, so I breathed through my mouth. That caused me to start coughing so, frustrated, I sat up.

Just as my coughing spasms subsided, granddad entered my bedroom, followed closely by mum. I flopped back onto my pillows, exhausted.

"Oh, Sam!" mum exclaimed. "I just knew something like this would happen to you once you'd left home."

"It's just the flu, mum," I muttered miserably. "Let me sleep."

"Not until I've taken your temperature," mum replied sternly. I reluctantly opened my mouth, so she could place the thermometer under my tongue. I saw granddad smile sympathetically at me.

While we waited for the thermometer, mum went through her standard nursing routine of checking my pulse and listening to my lungs with her stethoscope. When she'd finished, she removed the thermometer from my mouth.

"No change in his temperature," mum announced. "We'll let you rest now, Sam."

 _About time_ , I thought as I pulled my blankets up around me. I sighed tiredly when I heard mum and granddad leave my room.

…

Mary and Tomos made their way downstairs to the kitchen. Tomos put the kettle on to make some tea, while Mary sat down at the kitchen table.

"I know you think I'm overreacting," Mary said. "But Sam's my baby, and I couldn't bear it if anything ever happened to him."

"He wouldn't have much of a life then," granddad muttered.

"What?"

Sighing, Tomos brought the cups of tea over to the table, and he also sat down. "Look, Mary… Sam is growing up very fast. He's already finished school, and now he's at university. Next year, he'll more than likely be getting his learner's licence. What I'm trying to say is that you need to start letting him go. Otherwise, he'll only end up resenting you."

Mary took a sip of tea while she considered what Tomos had just said. After a few moments, she spoke. "You're right, Tomos. I've known that for a long time now, but I've found it difficult to accept. I suppose that's what all mothers struggle with – letting go of their youngest child. I will try to make an effort though, just as soon as he's over this flu."

"I'm sure Sam will thank you for that. He's already become very independent, even though he hasn't been here for very long. Of course, as we agreed, I am ensuring he obeys my ground rules. He's been very good about that."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"Oh, I was just expecting Sam to…"

"Go off the deep end as soon as he'd left home?" Tomos finished.

"Yes."

Tomos shook his head in disbelief. "You really don't know him that well then. Sam's a great kid."

"He's also extremely stubborn."

"I know you blame my side of the family for that, but he gets most of his stubbornness from you."

Mary smiled wistfully before drinking more of her tea. "Well, I suppose the English can be just as stubborn as the Welsh. What has Sam been doing in his spare time?"

"Studying mostly."

"He can't be spending all of his spare time studying."

Tomos sighed. He knew it was time to tell Mary the truth. "You're right. He isn't. Every Wednesday evening, Sam has been attending Fire Cadet training at the Cardiff Central Fire Station."

Mary stared at Tomos in astonishment. "Do you mean to tell me that Sam's been deliberately going behind my back to become a fireman?"

"He really didn't have a choice. If he'd told you what he'd been planning to do once he got to Cardiff, you'd have packed him off to Cambridge or Oxford. He didn't want that, so he agreed to follow your wishes, so he could also follow his own. Mind you, Sam's so smart, he probably would've done the same thing no matter where you'd sent him."

Mary slumped back in her seat, stunned. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. She shook her head in disbelief. "I can't quite believe I'm hearing this! Why did Sam disobey me?"

"Calm down, Mary," Tomos soothed. "Before you decide to run upstairs and yell at him, you should know that I've been supporting Sam in this ever since he first approached me with the idea. Sam's been wanting to become a fireman for years. This is what he wants to do for his career. I know it isn't what you want, but if you drive a wedge between you both now, he'll resent you for the rest of his life."

Mary sighed heavily. She knew when to accept defeat. "Is he well supervised?" she asked quietly.

"Yes. The Station Officer personally supervises his training. I haven't seen any of his training yet, but Sam talks about it a lot. It's obvious that he loves the training. He's learning a lot about discipline, responsibility and fire safety."

Mary's curiosity was starting to get the better of her. "Could we see him train?"

"I can phone the station and ask. I don't see why we couldn't watch. But it'll have to wait until Sam's better. Speaking of which, it's time for his next dose of paracetamol."

"No, Tomos. He's sleeping, and it's best not to disturb him. We'll give him some more paracetamol when he wakes up."

"Okay. Still, I would like to go and check on him."

Together, Mary and Tomos made their way quietly upstairs. They entered Sam's bedroom as silently as they could. Sam was sleeping on his left-hand side, with his arms tucked up neatly under his pillow. As expected, his breathing sounded congested, but he was in a very deep, healing sleep. Mary tenderly felt Sam's forehead with her hand. Sam didn't even flinch. Satisfied, Mary and Tomos left the room as silently as they'd entered it.

…

Two days later, I was starting to recover. I'd slept a lot, waking only to take some medicine, drink or eat a little soup made lovingly for me by my mum. My fever had peeked at thirty-eight point four before dropping the night before. I awoke mid-morning feeling tired, but far less congested than I had been. At that point, I didn't yet know that granddad had told mum about my firefighter training.

Mum entered my bedroom just as I sat up. "Ah! I see you're feeling a bit better today," she said.

"Just a bit," I agreed. "Did granddad talk to my lecturers like he said he would?"

"Yes, and they've given him some work for you to do while you recover."

"Good. I was hoping they would. Do you think I'll be able to go back to university tomorrow?"

"No, Sam. You need to rest. Now, lie back down."

"It's Monday today, isn't it?" I asked as I lay back down on my pillows.

"Yes."

"I need to go to university on Wednesday then."

Mum smiled slightly. For a moment, I though I saw a flicker of amusement in her eyes. "We'll see how you are tomorrow, okay? Try and go back to sleep now."

"But I'm hungry!"

Mum chuckled. "You are getting better! I'll be back shortly with some food for you. Stay in bed."

True to her word, mum returned a few minutes later with a tray of food. Granddad followed her into my room.

"I'm glad to see you looking more alert, Sam," granddad smiled. "I was hoping you would be, so that you can go back to your Fire Cadet training on Wednesday."

"Granddad!" I exclaimed, shocked. "How could you?"

"Relax, Sam," mum soothed. "I've known about your Fire Cadet training since I arrived here."

I stared at mum, half afraid that she'd start yelling at me. Instead, she sat down on the edge of my bed.

"I can't deny that I'm disappointed in you, Sam," mum continued. "You went behind my back to do something I'd forbidden you to do. But, in a strange way, I'm proud of you for doing that. It shows that you have initiative and drive, and that's something I don't want to discourage. So, I've decided to come along with you to your next training session to see why you enjoy it so much."

I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. "You mean, you're not going to stop me?"

Mum shrugged. "I want to, but I know I can't. You'd only find some other way to do what you want."

Relieved, I gave mum a big hug. "Thank you! I didn't want to disappoint you, but I knew that I couldn't give up on my dreams because you wanted me to."

"Yes, well, I think you've had enough excitement for now," mum said as we ended the embrace. "Eat your breakfast, and then I want you to go back to sleep."

"Can't I do some study first?"

Mum and granddad exchanged a glance.

"Just for an hour," granddad decided. "Then you must rest. Otherwise, you won't be well enough to go to training. Station Officer Michaels knows that you've been ill with the flu, so he's going to take it easy with you."

"Okay," I agreed. Then, I gladly began eating my breakfast.

…

On Wednesday afternoon, Tomos and Mary both agreed that Sam was well enough to attend his Fire Cadet training that evening. Sam's fever had gone, and although he was still a bit tired, he was no longer congested either. Tomos drove them both to the fire station, arriving at five minutes to six.

As soon as Tomos had parked his car in the carpark behind the fire station, Sam leapt out and he ran inside. Mary looked questioningly at Tomos.

"He has five minutes to change into his uniform," Tomos explained. He and Mary then got out of the car, and they headed over to the rear garage entrance of the fire station. A fireman, dressed in casual clothes, stopped them.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go inside without an escort."

"Station Officer Michaels is expecting us," Tomos replied. At that moment, Station Officer Michaels appeared from around the corner of the stairwell.

"It's all right, Fireman Peters. I'll take care them."

The fireman left, and Tomos and Mary went over to Station Officer Michaels. "Station Officer Michaels, this is Sam's mother, Mary Jones."

"Mrs Jones. It's a pleasure to meet you at last."

"Likewise. I'm not happy with the way Sam has gone about this, but I know I can't stand in his way anymore. The least I can do is to see for myself that he's happy. That's all I want for him."

Station Officer Michaels glanced at his watch. "I need to go sound the assembly alarm shortly. For now, I want you to just stand over here next to this wall and watch. If you hear an alarm sound, please go over to that room over there and stay inside until the alarm stops. That's just a common room, but it's the safest place for you to be during a turnout. You can stay against that wall for this alarm though."

Tomos guided Mary over to the wall Station Officer Michaels had indicated. It was right near one of the fireman's poles. Station Officer Michaels disappeared inside the watch room. Seconds later, an alarm sounded throughout the fire station. Almost instantly, Mary and Tomos heard what sounded like a stampede overhead, followed by doors slamming. Firemen burst into the garage area from the stairs, while others slid down the poles. Mary gasped when she saw Sam, dressed in his full firefighting uniform, amongst the firemen sliding down the poles. Tomos grasped Mary's arm to reassure her.

The firemen lined up neatly in the garage just as Station Officer Michaels emerged from the watch room. Sub-Officer Smithers was right behind him.

"White Watch! Atten-shun!" Sub-Officer Smithers barked. The firemen immediately snapped to attention. Sub-Officer Smithers then began calling the roll. He finished a few minutes later.

"All present, sir, except for Fire Cadet Jules, sir," Sub-Officer Smithers reported to Station Officer Michaels. "He's still on suspension."

"He'll be back next week," Station Officer Michaels replied. "At-ease, White Watch."

The firemen obeyed.

"Today, as soon as you've completed your watch commencement duties, I want you all to come out the back with the pump-ladder. We're going to practice slip-and-pitch over at the training tower. Fire Cadet Jones will be joining us. As you can see, we do have guests with us today. Fire Cadet Jones' mother and grandfather will be observing us today, so please make them feel welcome. Also, Fire Cadet Jones has just recovered from the flu, so go easy on him today. That's all I have to say for now."

"White Watch!" Sub-Officer Smithers called. "Atten-shun! To your duties, fall out!"

After they'd been dismissed, the firemen spread out around the appliance bay. Mary and Tomos watched Sam follow one of the firemen over to one of the fire engines. Both of them climbed inside the fire engine, with Sam in one of the front passenger seats. The fireman driving the fire engine started it up, and he began to carefully reverse it out the back of the garage.

Station Officer Michaels went over to Tomos and Mary. "Please, follow me."

The three of them went outside to the back of the fire station. They watched on as Sam, leaning out of the cab window, helped the fireman he was with to park the fire engine. Once it had been parked in the right place, the fireman turned off the fire engine, and then he and Sam got out. They came over to Station Officer Michaels.

"Pump-ladder is now in position for the training exercises, sir," the fireman said.

Station Officer Michaels nodded. "We'll commence the exercise shortly. Mr and Mrs Jones, this is Leading Fireman McArthur. Fireman McArthur, this is Sam's mother and grandfather."

"Pleasure to meet you both," Leading Fireman McArthur replied, shaking hands with them. "I've been assisting with Sam's cadet training, alongside Station Officer Michaels." He placed his hands on Sam's shoulders. "You can be proud of him. He's been showing a lot of natural talent."

"Really?" Mary replied sceptically. "He's also shown natural talent for many other things. Why should this be any different?"

"Because I enjoy it, mum," Sam insisted.

"Assemble the team, McArthur," Station Officer Michaels instructed.

"Yes, sir."

Minutes later, the training exercise began. Mary watched closely, with curiosity and growing pride, as Sam helped pull an extension ladder off the fire engine, then later when he unrolled several hoses and connected the ends to the outlets on the fire engine. She sighed contently.

"You're right, Tomos. Sam is very happy doing this. In fact, I haven't seen him this happy in years. I won't interfere with his decision to be a fireman anymore. I can see that he's well-supervised and safe. I only hope that I don't live to regret this later."

"I'm quite sure you won't," Tomos assured her.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 23

 **Seven months later – June 1983**

"Okay, Sam," granddad said. "Just remember what I've taught you. Go easy on the brakes when you need to slow down. You were a bit lead-footed at that last intersection."

"Would you prefer it if I didn't stop?" I asked teasingly.

"No! Just keep driving."

I couldn't help grinning. I'd had my 'D' plates for about three months now. In Wales, all learner drivers have 'D' plates, instead of 'L' plates. The 'D' stands for 'dysgu', which is the Welsh word for 'learning'. I thought I was doing quite well as a learner driver, but granddad didn't seem convinced. I supposed he was just worried about letting an almost-sixteen-year-old drive his only car.

"That's a 'Give way' sign there, Sam."

"I know," I replied as I started to apply the brakes. "I can read English just as well as Welsh."

Granddad chuckled. Unfortunately, I braked a bit too hard, causing him to move forward in his seat as the car decelerated. He gave a longsuffering sigh.

"Sorry."

"That's all right, Sam. You'll get used to the brakes soon. Now, check that there's no oncoming traffic, and then you can go."

"I know how 'Give way' signs work," I said as I flicked on the left indicator.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to insult your intelligence."

I accelerated and turned left.

"Good. Now, change up a gear."

I did so.

"Well, at least you didn't grind the gears that time," granddad muttered.

"I said I was sorry!"

Granddad chuckled. "Relax, Sam! So, have you decided what you want to do for your summer holidays?"

"I think I'll go back to Pontypandy for a few weeks."

"I see. Getting sick of Cardiff, are you?"

"No! It's just that, Sarah and James have started teething, so I thought I could give Charlie and Bronwyn a hand."

"Always thinking about others, aren't you Sam?"

I merely smiled in response. Then, I glanced at my watch. "Uh, oh. I think I'm going to be late for my lecture." And I started to accelerate a bit more.

"Watch your speed, Sam!"

I slowed down. "Sorry. I just don't want to miss this lecture. My lecturer is going to run through the exam, so we'll know what to study over the weekend."

"Well, if we're late, it's your fault. You were the one who insisted on studying this morning."

Minutes later, I arrived at the university, and I parked outside the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. "Thanks, granddad," I said as I grabbed my backpack from the backseat. "I'll see you at four outside the School of Chemistry."

"Good luck with your chemistry exam."

"Diolch!" And with that, I bolted from the car, and I ran towards the building.

…

"…And don't forget that your exam is on next Monday morning at nine a.m.," my lecturer said a couple of hours later as my Welsh History lecture came to an end. "Pob lwc, pawb."

"Diolch," my classmates and I muttered on our way out of the lecture theatre.

I hurried down the hallway towards the exit. I only had about twenty minutes to have lunch before my practical chemistry exam. I knew what my experiment would be, so I was really looking forward to it. My chemistry lecturer seemed to be quite impressed when I handed in my experiment plan, so I hoped I'd at least get a distinction.

Luckily, I'd brought a packed lunch to university today, so I was able to quickly eat it outside the chemistry building before I went inside. Our practical exams had been staggered throughout the week, so only ten of us would be in the laboratory at a time. There was no way for us to cheat, because we'd already submitted our planned experiments to our lecturer a month earlier. Any deviation from the plans without prior approval would require an immediate investigation, and almost certainly a fail.

I entered the chemistry lab to find all of the equipment we'd requested set up on separate benches. There were Bunsen burners, beakers and vials of assorted sizes, tubing, funnels, and a variety of chemicals and metals neatly arranged on each bench. Leaving my backpack near the door, I carried my work notes over to my assigned bench. Then, I waited for my lecturer, Mr Robinson, and the rest of my classmates to arrive.

Before long, the exam began. I worked methodically through my experiment, ensuring I checked everything twice. It was progressing nicely, when one of my classmates suddenly cried out in alarm.

"Oh, no! No! No! Help!"

Turning, I saw that my classmate had accidentally knocked over his Bunsen burner, and it had fallen into a plastic tray filled with metal fragments. The tray was already on fire.

"Get away from the bench, everyone!" Mr Robinson ordered.

"Turn off the gas, sir!" I added as my Fire Cadet training kicked in.

Mr Robinson immediately hurried over to the emergency shut-off switch, and he flicked it. The remaining Bunsen burners went out, but the fire kept burning. I turned to my classmate.

"What chemicals were you using?"

"A few, but there's magnesium shavings in that tray!"

 _No wonder it's taken off the way it has,_ I thought as I ran across the room to where the fire extinguishers were kept. I grabbed a bucket of sand, before hurrying over to the fire.

"Be careful, Sam!" Mr Robinson called.

"I know what I'm doing, sir," I replied. "Just get everyone out!"

While Mr Robinson ensured that my classmates evacuated the room, I dumped the bucket of sand on top of the fire. While most of the flames died down, some of them escaped beyond the now melted tray. They began consuming the label of a glass bottle containing ethanol.

Knowing that I'd done what I could, I hurried over to the doorway where Mr Robinson was waiting for me.

"Come on, Sam," he urged. "We need to get out of here." And with that, he ran towards the stairs.

But I didn't follow him. Instead, I sprinted over to the nearest fire alarm in the hallway. There were still hundreds of people inside this building who needed to get out. The fire alarm system was brand new, and while many people thought that it was a big waste of money, I knew how valuable they were.

 _Thanks for teaching me how to use these, Station Officer Michaels._ Grabbing the small hammer next to the alarm, I smashed the glass, and I hit the button, which activated the fire alarm. Within seconds, the hallway was filled with panicked students and adults, all trying to get out of the building at once.

I started to move with the crowd, but thick, toxic smoke was now filling the hallway, making it difficult to see where anything was. I knew there was a staircase nearby, but I couldn't see it now. Then, out of nowhere, someone accidentally bumped into me. Before I could stop myself, I lost my footing and fell. I instinctively put my hands out to cushion my fall, but my right arm buckled beneath my weight. I landed on my right-hand side, banging side of my head against the polished concrete floor.

I'm not sure how long I was unconscious for, but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. The panicked crowd had disappeared, and the only sound I heard was the fire alarm echoing loudly in my ears. Then, as my senses came back to me, I heard at least two people coughing and gasping for air nearby. I opened my eyes to find myself surrounded by thick, black smoke. However, it was a lot thinner down near the floor, so I didn't try to get up.

"Get down!" I said as loudly as I could to the people near me. "Get down and crawl. The smoke is thinner at ground level. You'll be able to breathe."

Hearing some shuffling, I hoped that someone had heard me. Then, I heard the familiar sound of approaching sirens outside. _Thank goodness!_

At that moment, a loud explosion came from inside the burning lab, rocking the entire building. I heard glass shatter as a huge fireball blew out the doors and windows of the lab. It was like a bomb going off, but I guessed that it was probably caused by a chemical. Someone screamed and started crying, but there wasn't much I could do to help them. From the sound of it though, their crying was more from fear than pain, so I hoped they were okay.

I started to crawl across the floor, but when I pressed my right hand down, a sharp bolt of pain shot through my wrist. _Okay, that's not good…_ Using my left hand, I managed to crawl over to where I was sure the stairs were. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found them. I paused for a moment as a coughing fit overwhelmed me.

Now, I had a new struggle – getting down the stairs. I drew in a deep breath before I sat up. Then, I swung my legs down onto the steps, and I began the process of pulling myself down them on my bottom. I had to pause frequently to cough, but the further down I went, the thinner the smoke got.

When I reached the landing, I crawled over to the wall, so I could lean against it for a moment to rest. I continued coughing, but not as badly as I had been before. It was getting easier for me to breathe. Looking up, I saw the smoke escaping through an open window near the top of the stairwell. It was quite mesmerising to watch. I could still hear other people upstairs, but from the sounds of their coughing, I knew they were also finding their way towards the stairs.

Then, just as I was about to resume crawling down the stairs, I saw several firemen starting to climb up the stairs, kitted out in BA gear and carrying hoses. When they reached the landing, one of them knelt down next to me.

"Sam?" he exclaimed. He seemed stunned to see me.

I just coughed and nodded in response. It was Leading Fireman McArthur. He scooped me up into his arms as if I weighed nothing more than a feather, and he carried me down the rest of the stairs.

Outside, there was organised chaos everywhere. Now that I was able to breathe fresh air, I clenched Leading Fireman McArthur's jacket to get his attention. I could only speak between gasping breaths.

"Tell the BA team… It's a chemical fire… Magnesium… People still inside… Gas is off… I tried to put it out… Teacher forgot to trigger the alarm… So, I did…"

"It's okay, Sam," Leading Fireman McArthur soothed. "I'll let the BA team know what they're dealing with. You've done a good job." He carried me over to where the emergency vehicles were parked. "Sir! It's Fire Cadet Jones! I found him on the stairs. He said that it's a chemical fire fuelled by magnesium. There's still people inside."

"Copy that," I heard Station Officer Michaels say. He spoke into his radio for a moment. Then, he moved into my line of sight. "How many people do you think are still inside, Sam?"

"At least two," I replied. I coughed violently again.

"Take him over to an ambulance," Station Officer Michaels instructed Leading Fireman McArthur. "They'll take care of him. He needs oxygen urgently."

Leading Fireman McArthur carried me over to a nearby ambulance, and he carefully lay me down on a stretcher. Only then did he remove his BA mask.

"What's his condition?" a female paramedic asked.

"He's suffering from smoke inhalation. I'm not aware of any other injuries. It's a chemical fire, so it's potentially toxic."

"Okay, thanks. We'll take it from here."

"Please, take good care of him," Leading Fireman McArthur begged. "He's a Fire Cadet at our station, and one of the best we've ever had."

"I understand. You'd better get back to your job," the paramedic said as my stretcher was loaded inside the ambulance.

I closed my eyes as a wave of exhaustion swept over me. The paramedic placed an oxygen mask over my face.

"Okay, I just want you to breathe that oxygen for me, please," she instructed. I didn't need to be told. "That's good. We're about to get moving, so I just secure these straps around you. Just lie still and relax. There now. Do you hurt anywhere?"

I placed my left hand around my right wrist, indicating that it was injured. The paramedic gently moved my wrist around, feeling for breaks. The ambulance started moving then, but since I wasn't seriously injured, the driver didn't put on the siren.

"I think you've just sprained it, but we'll take some x-rays just to be sure. Is there anything else?"

Using my left hand, I lifted the oxygen mask off my face, so I could speak. "I was knocked out… I'm not sure how long I was out for though." And I replaced the mask.

"Okay, we'll treat you for concussion as well. I know you're tired, but I need you to stay awake for now."

I nodded in understanding. Then, I lifted the mask off my face again. "My mum's a nurse, so I know why I need to stay awake."

"Good. Just concentrate on breathing the oxygen for now."

I put the mask back, adjusting it so it was comfortable. My only concern now was about how I was going to contact granddad.

Minutes later, the ambulance arrived at the University Hospital of Wales. The paramedics unloaded me on my stretcher from the ambulance, and I was taken inside the emergency ward. A doctor started walking beside my stretcher as I was wheeled down a hallway.

"What's his condition?" the doctor asked.

"Smoke inhalation, possible sprained right-hand wrist and concussion," the paramedic replied. "I think it would be best to x-ray his wrist, just to be sure."

"Okay, I'll take it from here. Thanks."

The paramedic left me then. I was taken into a room, and my stretcher was placed in an area that could be curtained off. The doctor started checking my vitals. While he did that, an emergency room technician removed my outer clothes, before dressing me in a white hospital gown and covering me with a sheet. After he'd gone, a nurse came over. She gently removed my oxygen mask.

"How are you feeling now?"

"Better," I replied.

"Well, that's good. Now, I just need to get some information from you, for our records. What's your full name?"

"Samuel Payton Jones," I replied.

She wrote that down on a clipboard. "Good. And your date of birth?"

"June twenty-one, 1967."

"Thank you. And do you have any family members that we can contact?"

"Yes, my grandfather, Tomos Jones." And I told her granddad's phone number.

"Excellent! I'll go and phone him shortly, to let him know where you are."

The nurse went over to the doctor, who was taking my blood pressure. "Even if he does have concussion, there's nothing wrong with his memory," I heard her whisper to the doctor.

"I heard. I'll just finish this, then I'll have him taken to x-ray. It looks like his injuries are minor though."

"That's good. I'll go and phone his grandfather now."

The nurse left. I stared up at the ceiling, and I let my mind wander back to what had just happened.

 _I hope everyone made it out safely. I just don't understand why Mr Robinson evacuated the lab without thinking to evacuate the entire building. I just wish I'd put that fire out when I could. Oh, it's no use wishing I'd done things differently. What's done is done. I did what I could, based on the training I've had. I hope everyone understands that._

"Sam?" the doctor said gently, snapping me out of my thoughts. "We're going to take you to the x-ray unit now. Just lie there and relax. We'll get you settled in a room soon."

"A room? Can't I go home?" I asked.

"No, I'm afraid you'll need to stay here overnight for observation, because of your concussion."

"Oh. I understood."

The emergency room technician wheeled my stretcher to the x-ray unit. Once there, two of them lifted me onto the x-ray table, laying me down on my back with my head on a pillow. They then placed a weighted apron on top of my body, while a nurse stretched out my right arm.

"That apron will just protect you from the radiation," the nurse explained as everyone else left the room. "Now, lie still and try not to move. I'll be back shortly."

I did as I was told. It wasn't easy to lie completely still, but I managed it. A few minutes later, everyone returned, and the apron was removed. Then, I was lifted back onto the stretcher, and I was wheeled away to the small children's ward within the hospital. I was taken into a room containing two empty beds.

"Which bed would you prefer to have?" one of the technicians asked me kindly.

"The one nearest the window, please," I replied.

"I thought you'd pick that one."

"Then why did you ask me?"

The other technician laughed. "He must be feeling better!"

Together, they gently transferred me onto my chosen bed.

"There you go," one of the technicians said as he tucked me in. "The doctor should be here shortly with the results of your x-ray, so just stay in bed and rest."

"Thank you."

As the technicians were leaving, the nurse entered. "How are you feeling now, Sam?"

"Tired."

"That's normal with concussion. I've contacted your grandfather, and he's on his way."

I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Then, I saw that the nurse was holding an inhaler. "Thanks. What's that for?"

"It's just some medicine I need you to take for your smoke inhalation. Have you ever used an inhaler before?"

I shook my head, so the nurse patiently showed me how to use it.

"I know I'm not supposed to sleep, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to stay awake for much longer," I said after I'd inhaled the medication.

"That's okay. You just go to sleep if you need to. I'll come back in an hour or so to check on you. Your grandfather should be here by then."

"Are you sure I'll be okay if I sleep?" I asked nervously.

"Are you feeling dizzy at all, or do you have blurred or double vision?"

I shook my head again.

"Then I'm sure you'll be fine. Your concussion isn't serious, even though you were knocked out. I'm sure a short nap will help you recover."

"Okay, thank you," I whispered in reply. Then, I settled down to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 24

Something was tugging at my right arm. I whimpered as a spasm of pain shot from my wrist up my arm.

"Shh… It's all right, Sam," a feminine voice soothed. "I'm just bandaging your wrist. It's not broken. Just badly sprained."

I opened my eyes. I was lying in a hospital bed, with an I.V. line now running into my left arm. _When did they put that in?_ I wondered. _It must have been while I was asleep. It's strange that I didn't feel it. Ow! My wrist might as well be broken given how much it hurts._

The nurse finished bandaging my wrist. I tried to sit up, but she stopped me. "Lie still. You could feel dizzy if you sit up too quickly with a concussion."

With a tired sigh, I settled back down. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Just over an hour. You have some visitors waiting to see you. Would you like me to send your grandfather in first?"

"Yes, please!"

The nurse went over to the doorway. "Mr Jones? Sam's awake, so you may see him now."

I tried to sit up again as granddad entered the room. "S'mae, tad-cu."

"S'mae Sam. Sut wyt ti?"

"Wedi blino."

The nurse pushed me back down onto the bed. "If you try to get up one more time, I'll strap you down to that bed."

"Sorry." I sank back down onto the pillows. "Who else is here to see me?"

"Your lecturer and a fireman," the nurse replied. "Would you like to see them now?"

"I suppose so."

While the nurse went to fetch my other visitors, I looked up at granddad.

"So, what's been going on?"

"Quite a lot, actually. As far as I know, they're still putting out the fire. Oh, and the rest of the family are on their way. They should be here soon."

"Oh. I was hoping to go home tonight, but the nurse said I couldn't."

Granddad fondly stroked my hair. "I know. But you need to stay here so that the doctors and nurses can monitor you during the night. You know it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to concussion."

"Yeah," I replied with a despondent sigh. "What time is it?"

"Just after five."

The nurse returned then, with Mr Robinson and Station Officer Michaels.

"Well, Sam! You've gone and outdone yourself this time!" Station Officer Michaels said sternly.

"What do you mean?" I wondered.

He held up a copy of the evening newspaper. There, on the front cover, was a photo of Leading Fireman McArthur carrying me out of the burning building with the headline, 'Heroic Student Saves Hundreds of Lives.'

Station Officer Michaels handed the newspaper to granddad, who immediately began reading it.

"I just did what you taught me," I told Station Officer Michaels. "I hope I didn't do anything wrong? I don't even know if everyone made it out alive…"

"Whoa! Relax, Sam!" Station Officer Michaels soothed. "I can assure you that everyone made it out safely. A few people needed to be treated for smoke inhalation and minor injuries, but as far as I'm aware, you are the most seriously injured."

"Oh." Then, I realised something. "Granddad said they were still putting out the fire. If you're here…?" I let the question linger, unasked.

Station Officer Michaels smiled. "It's okay, Sam. My teams contained the fire, before we handed over to teams from other brigades. Everyone was exhausted, so we left. A specialist team from HAZMAT have taken over, along with fire investigators. And, for the record, you did absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, I would've done exactly the same as what you did. You attempted to put the fire out while it was still small, but when that failed, you helped to evacuate the room. Then, when you saw that your teacher here had failed to evacuate the building, you triggered the smoke alarm."

Mr Robinson looked abashed. "Yes, I must admit that, in my panic, I forgot all about the smoke alarms. Thank you for triggering them, Sam. You saved everyone's life."

I felt my cheeks flushing red with embarrassment, but Mr Robinson didn't seem to take any notice as he continued speaking.

"I've had a word with the Dean and Chancellor, and they've both agreed that, since we can't finish the exam, everyone will receive a credit for it."

"Thank you, sir," I whispered tiredly in reply. "I really appreciate that."

"And I'm putting you in for a commendation," Station Officer Michaels said.

"I don't want any rewards, sir. I just did what you told me to do. I'm tired. Can I go back to sleep now, please?"

"Sure, Sam," granddad agreed. "I'll wake you when your parents get here."

Relieved, I rolled over onto my left-hand side, and I settled down to sleep. However, I heard granddad stand up, and he went over to Mr Robinson and Station Officer Michaels.

"Sorry about Sam. I…"

"It's all right, Mr Jones," I heard Station Officer Michaels reply. "I understand that he's exhausted."

"I'll have to see if the university can offer him an award as well," Mr Robinson muttered.

"Look, I appreciate you wanting to reward him, but can it wait until he's feeling better, please?" granddad asked. "Right now, the most important thing to me is his health."

"Of course," Mr Robinson agreed. "We'd better go now."

"Yes," Station Officer Michaels agreed. "We can talk more later."

And they left.

…

It had been a quiet day in Pontypandy. Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele were grateful for that. It wasn't easy to manage with just the two of them, but they did the best they could. It seemed that firemen were in short supply these days, because although they needed another hand, HQ weren't able to spare anyone.

Fireman Steele turned on the TV before sitting down in his favourite armchair. Station Officer Boyce joined him just as the news came on.

"Good evening," the presenter began. "We begin with breaking news out of Cardiff this evening. Shortly after three o'clock this afternoon, a fire completely engulfed the Grade Two listed Chemistry Building at Cardiff University. Our reporter, Lewis Harper, is currently at the scene. Lewis, can you tell us more about what happened?"

The footage changed to show the middle-aged Caucasian reporter, standing outside the Chemistry Building. The fire was out, but HAZMAT teams and fire investigators were milling around outside. Floodlights lit up the blackened building.

"Yes, as you can see behind me, the HAZMAT teams and fire investigators are still at the scene. They're trying to establish exactly how this fire started. It's understood that the fire began in one of the chemistry labs during a practical exam. The good news is that, miraculously, everyone made it out safely."

"Was anyone injured?" the presenter asked.

"Yes, we understand that there were some minor injuries, which occurred when the students and teachers panicked trying to get out, and several students were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation. But many of the witnesses are praising the heroics of one particular student, Sam Jones, who set off the fire alarm after his teacher apparently forgot to."

Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele exchanged stunned glances.

"He did say, 'Sam Jones', didn't he?" Fireman Steele asked.

"Yes, he did. Shh!"

The footage had now changed to a close-up of a male student. "I was in an exam, and I smelt a bit of smoke, and I wondered where it was coming from. Then, the fire alarms went off. They're only new, and we'd never had a fire drill before, so everyone panicked. I was one of the first to make it out of the classroom, and I saw a red-headed boy standing near the fire alarm. Then, there was a stampede as everyone tried to get out of the building at once. I was sort of swept up in the crowd, but I made it out okay."

Fireman Steele stared at the screen as the footage changed to show a red-headed boy being carried out of the building by a fireman. The fireman was wearing full BA gear. Even though the boy was covered in smoke and coughing badly, Fireman Steele knew at once that it was Sam.

"Great tangled hoses!" he exclaimed. "That's definitely Sam!"

"I saw the Jones family leave town about an hour ago," Station Officer Boyce remarked. "Now we know why."

"I hope Sam's okay…"

…

Grandad shook me gently. "Sam? Wake up. Your parents are here."

With a sleepy moan, I reluctantly opened my eyes. Mum was leaning over me, fondly stroking my hair.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" she asked tenderly.

I rolled over onto my back before I answered. "Still tired. I wish everyone would stop waking me up."

"We have to, Sam, because of your concussion," mum explained. "Are you hungry? It's dinnertime."

"We picked up some pizza on our way here," Charlie said as he came over to my bed.

"Did you get pepperoni?" I asked eagerly as I sat up. Forgetting that I'd injured my wrist, I put some of my weight on it. "Ouch!" I whimpered, and I clutched my wrist to my chest.

"Careful, Sam," mum admonished.

"Yes, we got pepperoni especially for you," Bronwyn said, answering my question. She brought it over to me.

"Brilliant! Thank you so much! I'm starving!" And I promptly began devouring the pizza. "What time is it?" I asked between mouthfuls.

"Almost six o'clock," grandad answered. "Would anyone like to watch the news?"

"Sure," I replied. "I want to see if the fire made it onto the news."

Grandad turned on the TV. We watched the end of a game show for a few minutes, before the news came on. We munched contently on our pizza as we watched the same news bulletin that Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele were watching at the same time in Pontypandy. I stopped eating when I saw the footage of myself being carried out of the building in Leading Fireman McArthur's arms. Nobody spoke until the news story changed to another event. Grandad turned the volume to mute.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Sam," dad told me firmly. "We're just amazed by your bravery."

Embarrassed, I felt my cheeks flush. Grandad laughed.

"My, my! I think our little hero is embarrassed!"

"No, I'm not!" I protested. "Look, it's no big deal. I don't see why everyone's making such a fuss."

"It's not everyday someone from Pontypandy gets on the national news, Sam," Bronwyn pointed out. She was sitting in the corner, feeding Sarah and James some baby food.

I looked up at mum. "Does everyone really think that I'm a hero?"

She nodded, as did dad, grandad and Charlie. With a tired sigh, I pushed aside the remains of my pizza. "I want to sleep again."

"Okay, sweetie," mum soothed as I settled down under the sheets. "We'll wake you again in about an hour."

"I'll have the rest of his pizza," grandad said, reaching out to remove the box from my bed.

Charlie scoffed. "You're as bad as him! How could anyone eat pepperoni? Yuck!"

"Well, you eat anchovies," grandad countered. "That's even worse."

"Quiet, you two," mum scolded. "Sam needs to sleep."

"Diolch, mam," I muttered.

…

I was discharged from hospital early the following morning. Grandad drove me home. As we passed the university, I saw that the burned-out Chemistry Building was still taped off, and that HAZMAT and the fire investigators were still on site, along with several media crews.

Upon our arrival back at grandad's house, we found Charlie reading through the morning newspapers.

"Guess what?" Charlie teased. "You're famous, Sam!"

I saw a few of the local newspapers laid out on the kitchen table. I took a moment to read the headlines. 'Fire Engulfs University', 'Student Fire Cadet Saves Lives', 'Hero Fireman Sam Raises Alarm' and, 'University Not Prepared for Fire'.

"I like this one," Charlie said, pointing to the 'Hero Fireman Sam Raises Alarm' headline. "I think I'll call you Fireman Sam from now on."

"I'm not a fireman, Charlie," I pointed out. "I'm just a Fire Cadet."

Charlie shrugged indifferently. "Same thing."

"I think I'll go upstairs and study for my next exam."

"You're not planning to go to your next exam, are you?" mum asked, surprised.

"I have to, or I'll fail the course. It's not until Monday morning. I'll be fine by then, mum."

"We were planning to come to Pontypandy on Thursday," grandad explained. "He'll be fine from now on, as you can see." And he rubbed my back affectionately.

"Well, I suppose there's no need for us to stay," dad mused.

"I agree," Bronwyn said. "Charlie and I need to get the kids home."

"Very well, then," mum reluctantly agreed. "We'll go now. What time should we expect you on Thursday?"

"I'll phone and let you know," grandad replied. "Thanks for coming so quickly yesterday. I was as worried as you were about Sam."

Charlie chuckled as he walked past me, heading towards the stairs. He was carrying the newspapers. "Fireman Sam… I can't wait to show this to everyone back home!"

"Don't you dare, Charlie!" I yelled as I pounced on him. Charlie managed to shake me off, and he bolted upstairs. "Charlie! Charlie, please don't tell anyone!"

Charlie closed the door to the guest bedroom in my face. "Go and study! Mum will be furious if you fail your exam."

Sighing in defeat, I made my way to my own room, and I sat down at my desk in a huff.

…

On Monday morning, I arranged for grandad drop me off at the university an hour before my exam. I wanted to spend a bit of time looking at the remains of the Chemistry Building before I made my way to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

When I arrived, I found that the whole building was still taped off with security guards patrolling the area. I went over to the tape to get a closer look at the charred external walls of the historical stone building. A security guard stepped closer, and I realised he was trying to get a look at my face.

"You're the boy who triggered the alarm, aren't you?" he asked loudly.

I nodded slightly. "I just wanted to see how bad the fire was."

"Well, I'm glad to see you're doing okay now. You were very lucky to get out alive."

"I know."

"Hey! That's the boy who saved everyone last week!" I heard someone shout behind me.

Turning, I saw at least three groups of reporters coming towards me. They held their cameras up, ready to snap some photos.

"Just stay there, kid!" one of them called out. "That's a perfect pose for the newspapers!"

Realising that they were intending to publish the photos in the newspapers, I promptly took off running.

"Hey, kid! Come back here!"

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the reporters were now running after me. I immediately increased my pace. Up ahead, I saw a flight of five descending stairs. I managed to gather myself just in time, and I did a running leap over the entire flight of stairs. Landing neatly, I kept running.

Minutes later, I burst inside the Arts building and I collided with something soft.

"Whoa! Steady on there, Sam!" It was Mr Lloyd, my Welsh History lecturer.

"Sorry, sir!" I gasped. "There's a group of reporters chasing me. They're trying to take my photo for the newspapers."

"I see. Go and hide in my office. I'll take care of them."

As I made my way around the corner to Mr Lloyd's office, I saw him pick up an emergency phone in the foyer.

"Get me security, please."

My Lloyd joined me in his office a few minutes later.

"Don't worry, Sam. Those reporters won't bother you again. Security has dealt with them, and they've agreed to give you an escort when you leave here."

"Thank you, sir. Is there anywhere quiet where I may study until the exam?"

"Sure. There's a little study nook just around the corner. Would you like a drink of water?"

"Yes, please. And thank you."

"Think nothing of it. You're a hero, so we're more than happy to look out for you now."

 _Am I never going to rid myself of this 'hero' status?_

…

On Wednesday evening, grandad dropped me off at the fire station for my final Fire Cadet training session before I returned to Pontypandy for the summer holidays. My wrist had almost healed by then, so I'd removed the bandage earlier that morning. Leading Fireman McArthur grinned when he saw me enter the locker room.

"Glad to see that you've made a speedy recovery, Sam."

"Thank you for rescuing me," I replied.

"That's all right. It's what we're here for."

"I hear that the Chief Fire Officer is coming for the watch changeover," another fireman announced. "So, make sure your uniform is in perfect order before you go downstairs."

"I think we all know why he's coming," Simon muttered spitefully. Everyone immediately looked at me. Embarrassed, I grabbed my station uniform out of my locker, and I hurried into the bathroom to change.

Minutes later, we were all standing in a neat row downstairs in the appliance bay for rollcall. Sure enough, the district Chief Fire Officer was there wearing his dress uniform. He stood with Station Officer Michaels and Sub-Officer Smithers, facing the rest of us.

After the roll had been called, and Sub-Officer Smithers had given the announcements, Station Officer Michaels took a step forward.

"As I'm sure you're all aware by now, last Thursday afternoon, we responded to a chemical fire at Cardiff University. Upon entering the building, Leading Fireman McArthur found Fire Cadet Jones on the stairs, and he carried him to safety. Later, it emerged that Fire Cadet Jones had not only raised the alarm, he'd also attempted to put out the fire, and he told some others who'd become lost in the smoke how to avoid it. Despite some minor injuries, Fire Cadet Jones is here with us today to receive a commendation personally from the Chief Fire Officer. Please step forward, Fire Cadet Jones."

I stepped out of the line. Smiling, the Chief Fire Officer came over to me, and he pinned a silver medal to my uniform. He also handed me a framed certificate before we saluted each other.

"Well done, Fire Cadet Jones," the Chief Fire Officer said. "I look forward to seeing more of you in the future."

"Thank you, sir." And I stepped back into line. White Watch politely applauded me as the Chief Fire Officer returned to his place beside Station Officer Michaels.

"All right, Smithers," Station Officer Michaels said once the applause had died down. "Dismiss the men."

"White Watch! To your duties, fall out!"

After we'd been dismissed, Station Officer Michaels came over to me. "Sam? Go and put your medal and certificate in your locker, and then join myself and Simon over at the smoke room. You're going to learn how to use BA sets today."

"Yes! Finally!" I exclaimed excitedly, before I dashed away up the stairs.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 25

 **One year later – July 1984**

"Come on, Charlie! Please…!" I begged.

Charlie sighed in exasperation as he put down his newspaper. "Why does it have to be my car? Why can't you borrow dad's or grandad's?"

"Because, dad's car is in the garage getting a new fan belt, and grandad doesn't trust me to drive his car on my own."

"How very perceptive of him," Bronwyn muttered. Charlie chuckled quietly, but he stopped when he saw me glaring at him.

It was the middle of the summer holidays, and I was spending the summer in Pontypandy with my family. Mum was very proud of me, because I'd come top of the class in all but one of my classes at university. I only had one more year to go before I graduated.

I'd also passed my open driving test only three weeks earlier, which had been a nice birthday present for me. However, I was yet to get a car of my own, and I really needed access to one tonight, so I could drive to Newtown. I'd promised Luke, Daniel and Mark that I'd meet them in town for a few games of bowls. We hadn't seen each other since the previous summer, and I wasn't sure when I'd get another chance.

"I promise, I'll take good care of your car, Charlie."

Charlie sniggered, and he looked up at Bronwyn. "I'm really enjoying this. I don't often get Sam on his hands and knees, begging me for something."

 _You don't have a lot of things I want._ I sighed with frustration. If I didn't get going soon, it wouldn't be worth going. "Charlie…!"

Charlie laughed again, and he removed the keys from his pocket. "All right, Sam. You may borrow my car on two conditions. The first is that you make sure you're back here before midnight. Mum will kill both of us if you're not home by then. The second is that, if something does happen to it, you will pay for any damage you cause."

I accepted the keys from Charlie. "Done! Thanks, Charlie! Again, I promise I'll look after it. I'll see you later!"

As I made my way out of the house, I heard Charlie say to Bronwyn, "What could I do, Bronwyn? He's seventeen years old. I can hardly treat him like a kid anymore."

 _That's true_ , I thought as I made my way out through the backdoor.

That drive to Newtown was one of the first solo drives I ever did, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I arrived without incident at the bowling alley shortly after sunset, and I joined my friends inside.

Luke, Daniel, Mark and I played three games in total. We all won one game each, except for Mark, who came second twice. It was eleven-thirty by the time I eventually left Newtown. Seeing that thick fog had settled over the valley between Newtown and Pontypandy, I realised that I'd be pushing to get back to Pontypandy by midnight.

 _I suppose I'd better forget about the curfew and concentrate on driving carefully. Charlie will kill me if anything happens to his car._

Once I had left the lights of Newtown, I found that I could barely see where I was going. The fog was so thick, you could have easily sliced it with a knife. The car's headlights didn't help me much, but I knew the road well enough to keep the car on it. However, I was barely crawling along at about fifteen miles an hour.

I guessed that I was about five miles from Pontypandy, when something swooped out of the fog and nearly collided with the front windscreen. Startled, I swerved sharply to the left. I saw the stone wall lining the road appear through the dense fog, but I was too late to try and avoid it.

CRASH!

Even though I'd been driving slowly, the sudden deceleration jolted me forwards and I slammed my forehead into the top of the steering wheel*. Luckily, the seatbelt prevented the rest of my body from moving too far forwards, but the impact with the steering wheel knocked me out.

With a heavy groan, I regained my senses. Blinking, I thought I saw smoke coming from under the car's bonnet, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I realised that it was just the fog drifting across the bonnet. The car's right headlight was still on, which partially revealed the extent of the damage to Charlie's car. From what I could see, only the front left headlight had been broken, which was why that headlight had gone out. I guessed that the front bumper was probably damaged too.

I nursed my head in my hands for a moment as I realised just how much trouble I was in. _Oh, daro! Charlie's really going to kill me now! I can't afford to have that fixed… I'm going to have to walk home…_ Reaching down, I managed to press the button to unbuckle my seatbelt. Once it had retracted, I put a bit of weight on my right ankle, but that caused me to yelp in agony. _Right, well that rules out that plan… Now what?_ I glanced at my watch. In the dimness, I could just make out that it was a quarter past twelve. I let out a low moan of despair as I leaned my head back against the seat. _I'll stay here. No doubt Charlie will send out a search party for me soon._

I must have briefly dozed off or passed out again, because when I next opened my eyes it was twelve-thirty a.m. I sensed that something must have woken me, but when I looked out through the front windscreen, I couldn't see anything. However, I could sense that something was watching me. Cautiously, I turned my head to the right to look out the driver's side window. My eyes widened when I came face-to-face with two glowing red eyes.

A scream escaped from my lips before I could stop it. Instinctively, I tried to move away from the window, but a bolt of pain shot from my ankle and it caused me to faint. My head landed on the front passenger seat.

When I regained consciousness again, I held my head in my hands until my senses cleared. Hearing a quiet snort, I glanced back at the driver's side window. Amazed, I slowly sat up. A jet-black horse with glowing red eyes was staring straight through the window at me.

"Paid dychryn (Don't panic)," I heard a voice say. I glanced around, wondering where it came from. "Dim ond fi, dy hen ffrind. (It's just me, your old friend.)"

"Ble...ble ydych chi? (Where…where are you?)" I asked cautiously.

"Reit yma. Wrth y ffenest. (Right here. At the window.)"

My eyes settled on the horse again and I swallowed. _It's the pwca! It has to be! They usually appear as a black horse with glowing eyes._

"Beth wyt ti eisiau gen i? (What do you want from me?)" I asked nervously.

"Dwi wedi dod i fynd â chi adref. (I've come to take you home.)"

"Cartref? (Home?)"

"Ie, nawr dewch ymlaen. Dydyn ni ddim wedi cael drwy'r nos. (Yes, now come on. We haven't got all night.)"

The pwca moved away from the door, giving me enough room to open it. I removed the keys from the car's ignition, which turned out the remaining headlight. The entire area plunged into darkness, except for the horse's eyes.

"Pam yr ydych yn fy helpu? (Why are you helping me?)" I asked it.

"Oherwydd, fy ngwaith i yw eich amddiffyn. (Because, it's my job to protect you.)"

"Oh."

The pwca lay down on its side in the middle of the road, waiting for me to mount it. Taking care not to put too much weight on my right ankle, I scrambled onto its back. As soon as it was sure I was clinging onto its mane, the pwca carefully stood up.

"Barod? (Ready?)" the pwca asked.

"Ydw. (Yes)."

With a gentle nicker, the pwca started trotting away down the road. I couldn't help tensing up at first, but after a few minutes, I relaxed and started moving with the pwca's smooth rhythm. When it felt me relax, the pwca broke into a slow rocking canter. I clung onto its luxurious mane to help me stay on.

Before long, we arrived in Pontypandy. Most of the house lights were out, but as we got closer to Charlie's place, the pwca slowed to a walk. The lights were still on and, even worse, Jupiter was parked out in front, lights flashing.

 _Uh oh… Now I'm really in some serious trouble._

"Dyma lle Rwy'n eich gadael (This is where I leave you)," the pwca whispered to me. Taking the hint, I dismounted, taking care to land on my uninjured left ankle.

"Diolch yn fawr (Thank you very much)," I said.

"Croeso. (You're welcome)." And with that, the pwca transformed into a will o' the wisp right before my eyes. It was difficult to believe that less than a minute before, I'd been riding a solid horse. I gave a small wave, and the wisp disappeared into the fog.

At that moment, the front door opened, and Station Officer Boyce stepped outside. "Don't worry, Charlie. Based on the information you've given us, I'm sure we'll…" his voice trailed off when he saw me standing on the footpath. "Sam?"

Unable to stand the pain in my ankle any longer, I felt myself passing out once again.

…

"Sam!" Station Officer Boyce shouted when he saw the teenager collapsing. Instinctively, he sprinted over to him. He was just in time to catch Sam by the shoulders before his head hit the cobblestones. "I need some help out here!"

Charlie, Bronwyn, Mary, Tomos and Fireman Steele hurried outside.

"Oh, goodness! It's Sam!" Tomos exclaimed.

Fireman Steele and Mary crouched down on either side of where Sam was lying. Station Officer Boyce cradled Sam's head in his hands to prevent it from touching the hard ground.

"What happened?" Mary asked as she felt Sam's neck for his pulse.

"I don't know, really," Station Officer Boyce replied. "I just came outside, and he was standing here. I said his name, and then he fainted."

Charlie looked around. "Well, he didn't return with my car…"

"Never mind about that for now, Charlie," Tomos told him sternly.

"We need to get him inside," Mary said. "He's cold, and he's got a nasty bruise on his forehead."

Fireman Steele placed his arms around Sam. "I can carry him."

"Are you sure?" Bronwyn asked.

"Yeah. I've done this hundreds of times." And with that, Fireman Steele lifted Sam onto his shoulders in a perfectly orchestrated fireman's lift. Once he was inside the house, Fireman Steele carefully set Sam down on the sofa. Mary then moved in, to examine her youngest son more closely.

"Bronwyn, fetch me a couple of blankets, please. Charlie? Can you fetch a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer?"

"Sure, mum," Charlie replied. "But what do you want it for?"

"To ice the bruise on Sam's head."

"Oh." And Charlie went into the kitchen.

Bronwyn returned first, and she and Mary draped it over Sam. Charlie handed a bag of peas to Mary, who gently placed it across Sam's forehead.

"Mmm…" Sam moaned in response to the sudden chill.

"I think he's coming around," Mary said.

"Good. He can tell me where my car is then," Charlie muttered.

"Never mind your car, Charlie," Tomos admonished. "Sam's more important than any car."

…

A low moan escaped through my lips as I slowly came to my senses. Something cold was on my forehead, and I was covered with a couple of warm blankets. Mum gently placed a hand on my arm.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?"

"Cold… What happened?"

"You fainted outside," Fireman Steele explained as he leaned over the back of the sofa. "Station Officer Boyce managed to catch you before you hit your head on the ground."

I frowned as the memories of what had happened to me earlier that night came flooding back. Then I winced when I felt my ankle start throbbing again.

"Where does it hurt, Sam?" mum asked instinctively.

"My right ankle. I think I've sprained it."

Mum moved down to the other end of the sofa, and she tenderly moved my ankle around. I could help wincing again. "Yes, it's badly swollen, but you can move it, so it's not broken. We'd better get your shoe off."

"How did you get back here, Sam?" grandad asked.

"I… I rode a horse."

Mum stopped unlacing my shoe for a moment, and she looked up at me in surprise. "A horse? But you can't ride!"

"Well, I can now. Ow!"

"Serves you right, speaking to me like that."

"I didn't see a horse when I went outside," Station Officer Boyce pointed out. "Even with all this fog, I'm sure I would've heard it if there had been one."

Everyone looked straight at me, waiting expectantly for my response. Remembering how no one had believed me that last time I'd seen the pwca, I decided not to say anything. _That pwca said that it was doing its job protecting me, so I'll protect it. Hold on… Pwcas only ever appear if someone's about to die. Then, that means… Either I could've died, and it chose to rescue me, or the death will happen soon. I hope it's not me or someone I know._ I closed my eyes as I sighed shakily.

"Sam?" mum called. "You mustn't go to sleep. You have concussion."

"I'm awake," I muttered, but I was feeling tired.

"What's happened to my car, Sam?" Charlie demanded to know.

I opened my eyes. "I'm really sorry, Charlie… Something flew out of the fog and it startled me. I think it was an owl. I lost control and I crashed into a stone wall about five miles out of town."

Charlie glared at me coldly. "How badly is it damaged?"

"I couldn't really tell, but the front left headlight is smashed…"

Charlie took a step towards me, but luckily grandad stopped him. "Charlie, go with Boyce and Steele. They'll help you find your car. If it's too badly damaged to drive, they can help you tow it back here."

Station Officer Boyce raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he didn't dare argue with grandad.

"Do you have the car keys, Sam?" grandad asked.

I took them out of my pocket, and I handed them to Charlie without saying a word. Then, Charlie, Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele headed outside.

"We'd better keep an eye out for a loose horse as well," I heard Fireman Steele say on his way out.

I breathed a small sigh of relief. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice.

"I think I'll go upstairs and check on the twins," Bronwyn said.

"Sorry we're keeping you awake, Bronwyn," mum apologised.

"Oh, don't worry about that, Mary! With two-year-old twins, I'm up all night anyway."

After Bronwyn had gone, mum shook me by my shoulder. "Right, Sam. We need to talk."

I groaned with annoyance. "I've told you what happened. I swerved to avoid an owl, and I accidentally crashed Charlie's car. I was about to get out when I realised that there was a horse outside on the road. It must've realised I was injured because it lay down enabling me to get on its back. I rode it all the way back here, but when I dismounted, I hurt my ankle again and that's when I fainted."

"Station Officer Boyce didn't see a horse," mum pointed out.

"It bolted as soon as I got off it."

Mum and grandad exchanged glances. I could tell from their expressions that they didn't believe me, but I knew they wouldn't believe the truth either. I pulled the bag of peas off my forehead, and grandad took it from me.

"Can I go to sleep now, please?" I asked hopefully.

Mum sighed. "All right. But I will keep waking you up every hour or so just to ensure your concussion isn't getting worse."

Pulling the blankets tighter under my chin, I settled down to sleep.

…

BANG!

Startled, I jumped awake. It was still night time, and I'd been asleep for no more than about half an hour. Before I could react, Charlie, Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele ran inside the sitting room. The bang had been caused by one of them slamming the front door. They all looked like they'd seen a ghost.

"Quick! Bolt the door!" Station Officer Boyce ordered.

"That won't stop a ghost," Fireman Steele pointed out.

"It wasn't a ghost!" Charlie added.

"SILENCE!" grandad ordered. Once they'd calmed down a bit, grandad spoke again. "What happened?"

"We found my car all right," Charlie explained, gasping. "It was right where Sam said it was."

"We managed to get it going," Fireman Steele continued. "But just as we were about to leave, we heard a horse trotting down the road towards us."

"We went to try and catch it," Station Officer Boyce said. "But when we caught sight of it, we saw its eyes glow red. Then, as soon as it saw us, it vanished into thin air! All we saw was a white globe floating away."

Mum scoffed. "You must've been imagining things. In this fog, the moonlight can sometimes play tricks."

Charlie, Fireman Steele and Station Officer Boyce glanced uncertainly at each other. I held my tongue. The worst thing I could do was to get involved now.

"We know what we saw, mum," Charlie finally whispered.

"But, I think it would be best if we never mention it again," Station Officer Boyce advised. "If word were to get out, there could be trouble."

"Why? Because you lot think that the Newtown Road is haunted?" mum said with a sniff.

"Boyce is right," Fireman Steele agreed. "We can't be sure of what we saw because it happened so quickly. Let's keep this to ourselves and never speak of it ever again. Agreed?"

We all nodded solemnly in agreement.

"We'd better get back to the fire station now," Station Officer Boyce decided.

Fireman Steele leaned over the back of the sofa. "Oh, before I forget, congratulations, Sam."

I was confused. "Congratulations? What for?"

"For joining the firemen's 'naughty' club. Haven't you heard the expression that all firemen are either reformed arsonists, or they've crashed a car?"

"Yeah, I've heard of it."

"Well, you just crashed a car. That means you're a legitimate fireman now."

"Thanks. So, which one are you? The reformed arsonist or the dangerous driver?"

Fireman Steele scoffed indignantly. "That's for me to know and you to find out!" And with that, he stormed out of the house, closely followed by Station Officer Boyce.

After they'd gone, I lay back down on the sofa and I closed my eyes contently. Even if someone did die soon, if felt strangely safe knowing that the pwca was looking out for me. Although I didn't really understand why it was doing that, I hoped that it would be a long time before I needed to see it again.

*Airbags weren't compulsory in UK cars in 1984, but seatbelts were.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains references and events relating to teenage suicide.**

Chapter 26

 **One month later**

"…And, Leading Fireman McArthur, don't forget to replace the oxygen cylinders in the pumper," Sub-Officer Smithers said.

"Sir!"

"Do you have anything you want to add, sir?" Sub-Officer Smithers asked Station Officer Michaels.

"Yes. Fire Cadet Jones?"

"Yes, sir?" I replied.

"Since Fireman Adams is absent today, Sub-Officer Smithers and Leading Fireman McArthur have agreed with me that you'll fill in for him until nine o'clock."

Beside me, Simon's jaw dropped open in astonishment. "Why him?"

"Because, unlike you, Sam is a keen learner and he's devoted to having a career in the fire service," Station Officer Michaels told him firmly. He turned his attention back to me. "Fire Cadet Jones, I want you to stick to Leading Fireman McArthur's side this evening. If there's a call out, you'll be going out on the pump-ladder with him, understood?"

"Sir!"

"White watch! To your duties, fall out," Sub-Officer Smithers ordered.

"Sam?" Leading Fireman McArthur called. "After you've sorted out your uniform, come and help me with the oxygen cylinders."

"Sure."

I placed my firefighting uniform trousers next to the rear passenger door of the pump-ladder, and I put my jacket inside the cab where Fireman Adams would normally sit. I then went to find Leading Fireman McArthur.

While I was helping Leading Fireman McArthur with the oxygen cylinders, I plucked up the courage to ask him a question I'd been wanting to ask him for a while.

"I've been wondering, what's your first name?"

"Promise not to laugh?"

I shrugged indifferently. "Sure."

"Well, my family are mostly fishermen, so my parents named me Horatio. You can understand why I don't like to be called that though."

"My family are mostly fishermen too," I told him. "I guess we have a lot in common."

"Yeah…"

"Would you like me to call you Harry?"

Leading Fireman McArthur smiled. "I actually really like that! You're welcome to call me Harry from now on."

"Only if you keep on calling me Sam."

We shook hands on it.

…

About an hour later, we were all upstairs in the mess hall, having dinner. Simon wasn't eating much, and he kept glaring coldly at me. Station Officer Michaels finally put down his fork.

"I don't know what's going on between you two, but I want it sorted out now."

"There's nothing going on from my side of things," I said. "He's just jealous."

Simon responded by standing up and leaving the room. I was about to get up and go after him, when a flash of red light caught my attention. I turned my head to see a black owl with red eyes glaring at me through the window.

"Y pwca," I whispered. _What's it doing here?_

"What was that, Sam?" Harry asked me.

I turned my attention back to my dinner. "Nothing."

At that moment, the alarms sounded. We immediately leapt up from the table, and we ran down the hallway towards the fireman's poles. I was one of the first down the poles.

"Apartment fire, Oakfield Street! Both!" Fireman Peters called from the watch room.

I was already pulling on my trousers. As soon as I had them on, I leapt into the pump-ladder's cab and I closed the door. Harry got into the driver's seat, and the rest of the crew got into where they usually sat. Seconds later, we rolled out of the fire station, lights flashing and sirens wailing. I put on my helmet and jacket as we raced along the road.

It took us about five minutes to get to the apartment building. When we arrived we saw flames coming from an apartment on the third floor of the four-storey building.

"Sion, Tony, I want you two in BA gear, ready to go in," Leading Fireman McArthur instructed. "Report to the BA monitor! Sam? You can start rolling out the hoses."

I opened the door and leapt down from the cab. People were running around screaming and panicking, but I stayed focused on what I needed to do. I opened the locker containing the horses, and I bowled them out neatly along the footpath. Once I'd unrolled four hoses, I connected them up to the outlets on the pump-ladder.

"Sam? Help us with the ladder!" one of my colleagues ordered. Since I was already standing near the ladders, I assisted with slipping the longest one. Once it was down off the appliance, I turned my attention back to the hoses.

"Water on!" Harry ordered.

"Water on!" I shouted in reply as I turned the taps on, one by one, allowing water to flow from the tank into the hoses.

"Sam?" Harry called. "Grab yourself a hose and help us!"

I picked up the only hose that wasn't being manned, and I started aiming it directly at the flames that were leaping out of one of the apartment's windows. At first, the water didn't seem to do much, but then, I saw the flames beginning to die down. Harry gave my shoulder a friendly pat.

"Good job, Sam. Keep aiming at the base of the flames. That's it!"

A piercing scream filled the air as someone pushed through the crowd and tried to run inside the building. "My baby! My baby!" a woman screamed as two of my colleagues grabbed hold of her and dragged her to safety.

I tried to block out the thought that a baby might be inside the apartment as I continued to dowse the fire. The woman was taken over to an ambulance that had just arrived. Minutes later, I saw our BA team emerge from the apartment. Sion was carrying a bundle in his arms.

"We need oxygen, fast!" he shouted. He was directed over to another ambulance that was out of my line of sight.

"I think we're getting the fire under control now," Fireman Peters said.

Sure enough, we were getting the upper hand on the flames and they were beginning to subside. Finally, about ten minutes later, the fire was completely extinguished.

"We'll let the fire investigation team take over now," Harry explained to me as I helped to roll up the hoses.

"Did the baby make it?" I asked, although I feared the answer.

Harry shook his head sadly. "It was pronounced dead shortly after Sion put it in the ambulance. Poor child. The mother left it on its own while she went to the pub. Some people really don't deserve to have kids."

I sighed sadly as I continued to roll up the hose I was holding. _She should've been the one to die, not her kid._ Hearing an owl hoot, I paused rolling up the hose and I glanced up at a nearby tree. The pwca was obviously following me now. It stared at me with its ghastly red eyes. _Is this the death you're predicting, or is there another to come?_ I wondered.

"Sam?" Harry called. "That hose isn't going to roll itself up."

"Hey, they should invent something like that," Tony suggested. "A hose that can roll itself up. Would save us a lot of work."

"Nah! You just don't work hard enough, Tony!" Firemen Peters quipped.

I finished rolling up my hose and I placed it neatly inside the locker. Harry placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to be here to witness the baby's death," he said to me softly, but kindly. It was obvious he didn't want the other firemen to overhear us. "I hope this hasn't hit you too hard."

I shook my head. "I know to expect deaths in this job. I just never expected that the first one would happen at my first ever callout. That woman should never have left her baby on its own."

Harry gave my shoulder another pat. "Let me know if you need to talk about it."

I nodded, before I resumed helping to pack up the equipment.

…

It was almost nine o'clock by the time we arrived back at the fire station. I knew that grandad would arrive shortly to pick me up, so I immediately went upstairs to get changed into my casual clothes.

When I entered the locker room, I was surprised to find that Simon's locker had been emptied and his uniform was lying neatly on a nearby bench. Hearing someone else enter the locker room, I automatically asked them, "Has Simon gone home?"

"I don't think so," Fireman Anderson replied. He turned to look at the other firemen who'd entered the room with him. "Have any of you seen Simon?"

They all shook their heads. I decided not to worry about it as I went into the showers to wash and change.

About five minutes later, I went downstairs to sign off and meet grandad. However, when I reached the base of the stairs, I saw Station Officer Michaels talking to a man who I assumed was Simon's father.

"…Surely, it's your responsibility to know where your crew is at all times?" the man said.

"The last I saw of Simon, he was heading upstairs to get changed after my training session with him. Ah! Sam. There you are. Is Simon upstairs?"

"No, sir. But, his locker has been cleaned out, and he's left his uniform on a bench."

Station Officer Michaels immediately looked concerned. "We'd better search for him. He can't have gone far."

"I'll search the back carpark," I volunteered.

"Thanks, Sam."

I borrowed a torch from the rack of spare equipment near the rear appliance bay doors, Then, I went outside into the carpark. "Simon!" I called. I scanned the carpark with the light from my torch. Seeing nothing, I was about to go back inside the fire station when a flutter of wings caught my attention.

 _Oh, not you again!_ I thought as the pwca, still in the form of an owl, swooped over me. I watched it fly up to the top of the training tower, where it perched and looked down the far side. A sense of dread filled me as I made my way around to the far side of the training tower.

As I rounded the corner, I focused my torch on what appeared to be a bundle of clothing lying at the base of the tower. The light reflected off a pool of blood next to the bundle. I drew in a deep breath as I realised what had happened to Simon.

Somehow, I managed to find my voice. "Sir! I've found him!"

I heard running footsteps as those searching for Simon ran over to where I was standing. Station Officer Michaels froze beside me when he saw what my torchlight was focused on.

"Tony, go and fetch a sheet," he ordered softly. "McArthur, you'd better phone for an ambulance."

They both hurried away to fulfil their tasks. I remained standing where I was while Station Officer Michaels crouched down beside Simon to check his pulse. After a moment, he looked up at us and shook his head sadly.

"It can't have happened more than twenty minutes ago. That's when I sent him upstairs to change."

Hearing the pwca hoot, I glanced up at the top of the training tower. It stared straight back at me with its piercing red eyes. My vision clouded over, and I felt myself starting to pass out. If felt as though the pwca had put me under its spell.

"Sam!" Fireman Peters shouted as I collapsed. I felt someone lay hold of my torso before darkness surrounded me.

…

"Sam? Sam, can you hear me?"

I moaned as the stranger's voice penetrated through the fog that had enveloped me. I felt something wrapped tightly around my left arm, almost cutting off my blood supply and leaving my fingers tingling with numbness. Opening my eyes, I found that I was lying on a bed inside the fire station's sick bay. A paramedic was leaning over me, checking my blood pressure. That's what was causing the tightness around my arm. Looking around, I saw that grandad and Harry were also in the room.

"I think he'll be okay now," the paramedic told them. "He's just suffering from shock, so keep him warm and quiet for the next few hours. If he starts showing more shock symptoms, take him to an emergency department immediately."

"I will," granddad agreed.

The paramedic removed the strap from around my arm. I waited until I could feel my hand again before I tentatively sat up.

Station Officer Michaels entered the room. "How is he?"

"I think he's feeling better," grandad replied.

"Good. Sam, in light of what's happened tonight, I'm ordering you to undergo counselling. You're not the only one. Everyone who was on duty tonight will be made to have at least one session with the counsellor."

"I understand, sir," I said tiredly. I focused my attention on grandad. "A allwn fynd adref, os gwelwch yn, taid? (Can we go home, please, grandad?)"

"Siŵr, Sam."

…

A coroner's inquiry later established that Simon had committed suicide as a result of his parents' recent divorce and bad university grades. No blame was placed on any members of our brigade, but we were all affected by his death in one way or another. However, the counsellor who came to see us was very helpful, and I was deemed fit to return to my trainee duties after just two counselling sessions.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 27

 **10 months later - June 1985**

"And now, we'll present the graduate degrees for Chemistry," the dean announced. He started announcing the names as the graduates walked across the stage to collect their degree.

I drew in a nervous breath as I straightened my mortarboard. _This is it! In just a few more minutes, I'll be a university graduate at last!_

When it came to my turn to go onto the stage, I handed my card to the stage announcer, so he could announce my name. I glanced to my right, hoping that my family had their cameras ready.

"Samuel Jones."

I walked across the stage with my black graduation gown fanning out behind me. I couldn't contain my grin as I shook the dean's hand.

"While Samuel receives his degree, we are thrilled to also present him with a special honour," the announcer said. "Two years ago, our heritage listed chemistry building was badly damaged in a chemical fire. Samuel not only attempted to put out that fire, but he also raised the alarm, and encouraged his fellow students to get down below the smoke. Although he was superficially injured trying to escape, no one can deny that his bravery helped everyone to evacuate the building safely. So, Sam, on behalf of the students and staff of Cardiff University, we're proud to present you with this plaque to commemorate your bravery. A copy of the plaque will be placed inside the foyer of the recently refurbished chemistry building."

I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I accepted the plaque, along with my degree. The audience rose to their feet, giving me a standing ovation as I made my way off the stage. _So, that's why the dean phoned grandad yesterday! He wanted to be sure I'd be here._ Once I was alone backstage, I glanced at the plaque to read what it said.

'This plaque commemorates the brave and heroic actions of Cardiff University graduate, Samuel Peyton Jones, who, on Thursday the 2nd of June 1983, raised the alarm and attempted to extinguish a fire that took hold in one of the chemistry labs. His actions helped evacuate over three hundred students and staff from this building, saving their lives.'

"Congratulations, Sam!" mum exclaimed when I joined my family outside the auditorium about half an hour later. She pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Well done, son," dad added. He patted my shoulder. "At least your mother can now tick something off her bucket list. She's managed to put one of her kids through university."

"Pity it wasn't Oxford or Cambridge," mum muttered. Then, she planted a kiss on my forehead, almost knocking off my mortarboard in the process. I quickly straightened it.

"Now, now, Mary," Gareth soothed. "You can't have everything. Sam's done an amazing job to get through university, so let's not ruin his graduation."

Mum finally let me go. I'd barely had a chance to catch my breath when Gwen hugged me as well.

"Okay, that's enough!" I gasped. "I need to breathe."

Gwen reluctantly let me go. "Well done, Sam."

"Thanks."

"Why don't we have a group photo?" grandad suggested. "It's been a while since we've had one."

"I can take it," Gareth volunteered.

"No, wait," I said. "I can see Mr Robinson over there. He's my chemistry lecturer. I can ask him to take it for us."

Mr Robinson was more than happy to take the photo for us. In fact, he ended up taking several photos – one with all of us together, one of myself with my parents, one of myself with grandad and one with myself and Charlie. I proudly held up my plaque and degree in all of them. Little did I realise just how meaningful those photos would become.

…

About two weeks later, I was sitting on the window seat in my bedroom, reading a book, when grandad called for me.

"Sam! Mail!"

Reluctantly, I put my book aside, and I made my way downstairs. Grandad was standing in the kitchen, holding a letter. I held out my hand to take it, but he held onto it.

"Uh, uh, Sam," he teased. "This letter comes at a cost."

I sighed in defeat. "What's your price?"

"A week washing the dishes."

"Done." And grandad handed over the letter.

"Perhaps I should've included the laundry as well," grandad muttered. He picked up his cup of tea before sitting down at the kitchen table.

I sliced open my letter with a letter knife. "You'll be lucky."

Grandad chuckled. "If you're going to go and live by yourself, you need to learn how to look after yourself properly."

I ignored him, I was too busy reading my letter. I'd barely got past the first paragraph before I found that I needed to sit down.

"Is everything okay, Sam?"

I nodded eagerly. "More than okay. I've been accepted into the fire academy! I've passed the medical, and I start in September."

"Well, aside from the medical and your mother, you didn't really have any obstacles," grandad pointed out. "Of course, the personal recommendations from the Chief Fire Officer and Station Officer Michaels meant that you were pretty much guaranteed entry into the academy."

"I know, but it wasn't certain. I wish they hadn't done that though. I wanted to be accepted on my own merit."

"It was your own merit. You saved all of those students and became an overnight hero. Even without the recommendations, I'm sure they'd have accepted you. Regardless of how it happened, I'm so proud of you! When do you need to be there to start?"

I consulted the letter. "I need to have moved into my dorm before the fifth of September. So, that gives us about two months."

"That's bags of time." Grandad stood up. "Let's have an ice lolly to celebrate. Then, I'll go and phone your parents to tell them the good news."

I stood up as well, and I hugged grandad tightly. "Diolch am sefyll o'm ôl (Thank you for standing by me)."

"Croeso, Sam (You're welcome, Sam)."

…

Later that night, I was sleeping soundly, when a tapping sound woke me. Groaning, I reluctantly sat up and I rubbed my eyes. The tapping paused. Looking around in the darkness, I gasped when I saw two red eyes staring at me from the window.

 _My pwca? What's it doing back here again?_

Getting up, I put on my dressing gown and slippers before I went over to the window. The pwca was in the form of an owl again. The tapping sound had come from it repeatedly hitting its beak against the glass.

I opened the window. "What do you want this time?"

Instead of answering me, the pwca shape-shifted into a will o' the wisp, which then floated into my bedroom through the open window. I frowned as I closed it.

"I thought you could float through anything?"

The wisp made a cute, shrugging gesture. Then, it drifted over to my closed bedroom door. Sighing, I opened the door. I followed the wisp down the hallway to grandad's bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. As soon as I touched the door, the wisp vanished.

 _Something's not quite right here…_ I thought as I tentatively pushed open the door. I was surprised to see that he still had his bedside light on, despite it being about three-thirty a.m. Then, I saw that grandad was slumped against his pillow in bed, with a book open on his lap and his head drooping against his chest.

"Oh, no." My whisper was barely audible, even in the silent room. In my heart, I knew the truth, but my mind still needed convincing. I made my way over to the bed and I placed my hand on top of his. It was stone cold. Shocked, I snapped my hand back as though I'd just touched a burning candle.

 _He's dead! How…? I'd better tell someone… Who do you report a death to? I'm sure a doctor would know. Paramedics. They'd know what to do._

I hurried out into the hallway, and I turned on the light before I picked up the phone's receiver. Then, I dialled 999.

" _Which service do you require?_ "

"Ambulance."

There was silence for a few seconds are I was transferred to the ambulance call centre. " _Ambulance,_ " a female voice said. " _What's your emergency?_ "

"It's my grandfather. He's died in his sleep. I've only just discovered him."

" _Okay, what's your address, please?_ "

I told her.

" _And your name?_ "

"Sam Jones."

" _Thank you. I've dispatched an ambulance to you. Is there anyone else with you?_ "

I knew I was starting to panic, so I drew in a deep, sharp breath to try and calm myself before I answered. "No. I'm on my own."

" _Do you mind me asking how old you are?_ "

"I've only just turned eighteen."

" _I thought you sounded young._ _Can you check you grandfather's pulse?_ "

"Yes, but he's cold. I'll be back in a moment." I placed the receiver down beside the phone, and I returned inside grandad's bedroom. _This has to be a nightmare…_ I couldn't look grandad in the face, so I averted my eyes as I felt his wrist for a pulse. Then, I returned to the phone. "No, he doesn't have one."

" _Okay. Since you're alone, I've informed the police and there's a patrol car on its way to you. I've just asked them to look after you until things can get sorted out._ "

"Thank you. I can hear sirens approaching now."

" _That'll be the police. The ambulance will be making a silent approach. When they arrive, I want you to go and let them inside and then come back to the phone._ "

"Sure." The doorbell rang then. "They're here."

" _Off you go._ "

I set the receiver down again, and I went downstairs. When I opened the front door, I saw that one of the two police officers was a woman.

"Inspector Jenkins and Constable Ryan," the male police officer said, introducing themselves. "We were directed here to investigate a reported death. Are you Sam Jones?"

"Yes. Come in."

Once the police officers were inside, I closed the door.

"I woke up about ten minutes ago, and I sensed that something was wrong, and when I went to check on my grandad, I found him dead," I explained as I showed them upstairs. "He's in that room there," I added as I picked up the phone receiver. Constable Ryan remained in the hallway with me. "The police are inside now," I reported to the dispatcher.

" _Good. I'm going to hang up now. I hope you'll be okay._ "

"Thank you." I waited until I heard her hang up before I did as well. _I hope I'll be okay too. Please, let this just be a nightmare…_

"Why don't we go downstairs?" Constable Ryan suggested.

I nodded in agreement. We were about to go downstairs when Inspector Jenkins emerged from grandad's bedroom.

"Has anything in this room been moved or altered?"

I shook my head. "I've only touched his hand to check for his pulse. His light was on when I found him."

"Okay. Take him downstairs, Constable Ryan."

Constable Ryan guided me downstairs, and she made me sit down on the sofa. I rested my head in my hands as my tears finally started to flow. Seeing that I was also shivering, Constable Ryan picked up the throw that was draped over the back of the sofa, and she wrapped it around my shoulders.

"There, now. Go ahead and cry. It'll do you some good. I'm amazed you've been so calm during all this. Most people are usually in a terrible state."

"I'm a trainee fireman," I explained through my tears.

"Oh. That explains a lot."

Inspector Jenkins returned downstairs just as the front doorbell rang again. "That's the paramedics. I'll go and show them in."

As Inspector Jenkins showed the two paramedics inside, I listened to them talking.

"I don't think you'll be able to do much," Inspector Jenkins said. "We have a deceased male, aged about eighty. He was found by his grandson about twenty minutes ago."

"Are the circumstances suspicious?"

"Not unless you find something I've missed. He appears to have died in his sleep."

They disappeared upstairs. I managed to subdue my tears. "Sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Constable Ryan soothed. "Just try and relax."

Inspector Jenkins returned downstairs. "Sam? Is there anyone we can contact to come and help you sort everything out?"

"My parents. They live about an hour away, in a town called Pontypandy."

"Do you have their phone number?"

I told him, and he wrote it down in his notebook.

"And, what are their names?"

"David and Mary Jones."

"Thanks. I'll go and inform them."

A paramedic came downstairs. "Inspector?"

"Yes?"

"I just thought I should let you know that you're right. This death is not suspicious. He appears to have died in his sleep from either a stroke or a heart attack. Given the circumstances, I'd say it occurred between about nine and ten p.m."

 _Just after we went to bed._ A fresh wave of tears overcame me. Constable Ryan kindly patted my shoulder.

"That's it. Keep the tears coming. It'll help. Can you tell us what your grandfather's name was?"

"Tomos Jones," I replied through my tears.

"We'll take him to the University Hospital morgue," the paramedic said to Inspector Jenkins. "I'll give you the details to pass onto the rest of his family. Someone will have to come and make a formal identification of him and determine if a post-mortem should be carried out."

"Let's go upstairs to talk," Inspector Jenkins suggested when he saw me shiver again. "Sam's in shock."

After they'd gone upstairs, Constable Ryan continued to rub my shoulders. "Feeling any better?" she asked as my tears subsided.

I shrugged. "There…there was no warning!"

"I know. It's sad, but sometimes, there isn't."

"Do you think he knew?"

"Probably not. He most likely just fell asleep and…"

I nodded solemnly. I felt so alone. Seeing that I'd exhausted myself, Constable Ryan stopped rubbing my shoulders, and she encouraged me to lie down.

"That's it. Try and go to sleep now. We'll be right here when you wake up."

I closed my eyes, and I tried to relax, but I was shivering too much. A few minutes later, Inspector Jenkins returned downstairs. His voice startled me.

"I phoned Sam's parents while I was upstairs. They're on their way."

"Good. We'd better stay here until they arrive. I'm going to see if the paramedics can treat Sam for his shock. Look at him. He's still shivering."

"Yes, I noticed that. Is he asleep?"

"I hope so. It's what he really needs right now, poor kid."

I heard nothing more because I finally fell asleep.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.**

Chapter 28

I awoke when someone gently shook my shoulder. Startled, I gasped and opened my eyes at the same time. Judging from the soft rays of sunlight coming into the room, I guessed that It was just after dawn. I was still lying on the sofa downstairs. My eyes settled on my mother, who was kneeling beside the sofa, staring down at me. She tenderly brushed my fringe off my forehead.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?"

At that moment, I remembered exactly why I'd fallen asleep on the sofa. I was hoping it had just been a nightmare. Glancing to my left, I saw the two police officers sitting in the armchairs, sipping cups of tea. I looked back at mum.

"Tad-cu?" I whispered.

Mum's expression changed to one filled with pity. "I'm so sorry, Sam. You should never have been here alone to deal with this."

"He handled it better than most people would have," Inspector Jenkins muttered. Mum shot him a cold glare.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"He and Charlie have gone to the hospital to formally identify your grandfather, and to collect his death certificate."

Hearing the word 'death', I started to cry again. Even though I was still lying down, mum put an arm around me.

"Shh… You shouldn't cry, Sam. You're too old for that."

I pushed mum's arm away. Then, I rolled onto my stomach, and I continued crying into the cushion.

"He's had a big shock, Mrs Jones," Constable Ryan explained. "Just let him cry. He'll recover from it faster if you do."

"Nonsense," mum replied. "I'm a nurse, and I know that the best thing for shock is rest. He's not going to get that if he keeps crying."

"He cried himself to sleep before you arrived."

I heard mum stand up and she went over to the sideboard. "I'm just going to give him a mild sedative to help his nerves relax."

"I don't need it, mum," I muttered as I lifted my head from the cushion.

Mum ignored me. A moment later, she came back over to me, carrying a needle and an alcohol wipe. "I know what's best for you. This will help you deal with the shock, so relax and stay still."

I rested my head back down on the cushion and I closed my eyes. Mum rolled up my left-hand pyjama sleeve. Seconds later, I felt the cooling sting of the alcohol wipe. Then, mum gave me the injection. I moaned a little as she removed the needle, but I didn't move. Mum started to pack everything away.

"Now, what would you like for breakfast, Sam?" she asked.

"Nothing," I muttered.

At that moment, I heard the front door open. "It's only us!" dad called.

"I guess we'll be going now, then," Inspector Jenkins said as he stood up. He handed his empty teacup to mum. "If there's anything else you need, please don't hesitate to contact me. My name and the station's phone number are on this card." And he handed it over.

"Thank you so much for your help, and for looking after Sam."

"You're very welcome," Constable Ryan said as they started to make their way to the front door. "And, on behalf of everyone at the police station, we'd like to offer your family our condolences."

"Thank you. You're very kind."

While mum was seeing the police officers out, Charlie knelt down beside the sofa. "Hey. Are you okay? You're shoulder's bleeding."

"That's because mum sedated me," I explained. Then, I rolled over onto my back. "She only did it because I was crying."

"I'm sorry. She's only trying to do what she thinks is best for you."

I made eye contact with him. "Mum said you went to the hospital."

Charlie drew in a long breath. "Yeah, and I wish I hadn't. I thought I could cope with seeing him, but… Well, anyway, it's brought some closure for me. How about you?"

I shrugged. "This seems so surreal. I just wish it was all just a horrible nightmare."

Charlie reached out and he gave my right-hand shoulder a pinch.

"Ouch!" I yelped. Instinctively, I covered the pinch with my left hand. "What was that for?"

"To prove to you that this isn't a dream."

I pouted. "Now both of my shoulders are sore. Ow."

"Sorry."

Mum and dad entered the sitting room then.

"Sam, do you know who your grandfather's lawyer was?" dad asked.

"Yes, I believe it's Thorne and Harwick. I've seen letters from them come through the mail."

Dad went over to grandad's desk in the corner of the room. It was an old-fashioned roller top desk. Dad tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Where's the key?"

With a reluctant groan, I got up and I went over to the desk. I reached over the top of the desk and a pressed a hidden button located at the back. A small drawer popped out of the elaborate top panel, revealing the key hidden inside. I handed the key to dad.

"Lucky he showed you that," dad said as he unlocked the desk.

"Yes," I agreed.

I returned to the sofa as dad started sorting through grandad's papers. Mum went into the kitchen to see about breakfast.

"Why don't you go and have a shower and get changed, Sam?" Charlie suggested.

I nodded in agreement. I couldn't bear to stay there a moment longer. I just wanted to be alone, for once. However, as I made my way upstairs, I started feeling a bit dizzy. The dizziness increased as I came closer to grandad's bedroom. Realising that I was going to faint, I tried to hurry past the room, but that only increased the dizziness. Before I could stop myself, I felt myself falling. I was unconscious before I even hit the floor.

…

Charlie was the first to hear the soft 'thud' upstairs as Sam hit the floor. He took off running upstairs, taking them two at a time. He sighed in disbelief when he saw Sam collapsed on the floor in the middle of the hallway.

"Mum! Sam's fainted again!"

Mary left what she was doing in the kitchen, and she hurried upstairs. She knelt beside Sam before gently checking the pulse in his neck. She breathed a small sigh of relief.

"I think he'll be okay. It's just the shock. I'll give him a stronger sedative in a few hours, after this first dose has worn off. Can you carry him to his room?"

Charlie gave her a 'you've got-to-be-kidding' look. "Mum, in case it's escaped your notice, Sam's now taller and heavier than me. I'll need dad's help if we're going to move him."

"Right, sorry. Let's try and wake him up."

"Hey, what's that smell?"

…

I came back to consciousness just in time to hear Charlie's question. I blinked open my eyes and looked around. I was lying in the hallway where I'd fainted, with mum and Charlie leaning over me. The familiar, acrid smell made me frown with concern.

"That's smoke," I said.

"The sausages!" mum exclaimed.

She ran back downstairs. Charlie helped me up, and then we quickly followed her. My firefighting instincts kicked in now as a surge of adrenalin raced through me. I entered the kitchen just in time to see mum filling a saucepan with water at the sink. The frying pan on top of the stove was engulfed with flames. _Cooking oil fire_ , I thought as I sprinted over to mum. I grabbed the saucepan out of her hands before she could throw the water onto the fire.

"MUM!" I shrieked. "You NEVER throw water onto a cooking oil fire!"

"Sam!" mum exclaimed with surprise.

Before she could say anything else, I opened the pantry and I pulled out the fire blanket I'd installed there a year earlier. Then, I turned off the gas under the burning frying pan before I carefully placed the blanket over the flames.

When I was sure that the fire had been smothered, I turned to face my family. Dad and Charlie were standing in the doorway, while mum stood frozen next to the sink. Nobody said anything for a moment. I finally breathed a small sigh of relief.

"The fire's out now," I told them quietly.

Dad nodded his head towards me. "You see, Mary, how handy it can be to have a fireman in the family?"

Mum was still frozen, staring at the stove. Charlie went over to her, and he gently touched her on the shoulder. She jumped. "Mum? It's okay. Sam put the fire out." To our astonishment, mum burst into tears. Charlie pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, mum. Everything's okay."

While Charlie was soothing mum, I removed the fire blanket and I carefully picked up the hot frying pan with a tea towel. "So, um, who wanted their bangers well done?"

My joke helped ease the tension. Mum started to laugh through her tears, and even dad had a chuckle. Charlie started to escort mum out of the kitchen.

"I think you're the one who needs to be sedated now, mum. Not Sam."

"Perhaps you're right, Charlie. I feel so stupid. I was so worried about Sam, that I forgot to turn the stove off."

"Why don't we go to a café for breakfast?" dad suggested. "I think it'll do us some good to get out of the house for a while. I'll phone Mr Thorne while Sam's having his shower, to arrange an appointment."

"I'll come upstairs with you this time, Sam, in case you faint again," Charlie offered.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be okay now."

"Amazing how it only took a small fire to snap him out of it," I heard dad say as I made my way upstairs again.

…

After I'd showered and changed, we went and had breakfast in a café a few streets away. I wasn't hungry, so I just sipped on some tea. Mum was a bit concerned by my lack of appetite, but after trying to persuade me to eat some bread, she left me alone.

Once we'd finished breakfast, we walked to the lawyer's office, arriving there just after nine o'clock. Mr Thorne showed us into his office.

"You're lucky I didn't have any scheduled appointments until ten o'clock," he said after we'd exchanged formalities and sat down. He looked at dad. "Given the circumstances, I'm happy to spend as much time as we need to spend going over the details of your father's will. May I also offer you my condolences."

"Thank you," dad replied. He handed over a document. "This is my father's death certificate. We should have the results of the autopsy by the end of the day. I've also started making funeral arrangements."

Mr Thorne nodded. He opened the folder he had on the desk in front of him. "I have your father's will right here, so let's get on with it. He last had it updated about a year ago, so we can declare this to be his final will and testament. He has named you, David, as the executor of his will."

Dad nodded in agreement. We waited in silence for Mr Thorne to continue. I wasn't expecting much from the will. I knew that grandad loved me, so I'd probably get a few personal effects to remember him, but nothing significant.

Mr Thorne continued. "I'll dispense with all the legal terminology and keep it simple for you. I'll start with property and personal belongings. David, your father has left you his fishing business, including his boat and all related equipment. He has stipulated that, upon your own death, it's to be inherited by your eldest son, Charlie. Should Charlie die before you, it is to be inherited by your youngest son, Samuel. Mary, Tomos has bequeathed to you his family jewellery. He's stipulation is that it may be valued and insured, but you are not permitted to sell it. He wants it to remain in the family."

"I understand," mum said. "I'll alter my own will so that the jewellery can be inherited by Charlie's daughter, Sarah."

Mr Thorne nodded, and he looked at Charlie. "Charlie, your grandfather has left you the family's photo albums and his grandfather's platinum pocket watch."

Charlie whistled softly. "I've seen that watch. It's worth a fortune!"

Dad patted Charlie's shoulder. "Don't get any ideas about selling it, son. It was a gift from Queen Victoria to your great-great-grandfather as a thank you for his services during the first Boar War."

Charlie pouted. Mr Thorne turned to face me. "Your grandfather seems to have had a soft spot for you, Samuel. He's left you his car, and his house here in Cardiff."

My jaw fell open and my eyes widened in disbelief. _He's left me his house and car? Wow!_ "Are there any stipulations?"

Mr Thorne shook his head. "No. You're free to do with them as you wish. He's also left you the family's Welsh dresser. You may not sell that though. That must be inherited by your own children, when you have them."

I nodded. "I understand."

"Now, we move onto the monetary inheritance," Mr Thorne said. "Tomos has no debts that I know of, but I'll need to confirm that with the bank. Would you mind if I go and phone the bank now?"

"Not at all," dad replied.

"Thank you. Please, help yourself to the tea and coffee that's available out in the hallway. I won't be long."

Mr Thorne returned a few minutes later. He sat down at his desk before he spoke.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I can confirm that Tomos had no debts, so you won't need to worry about that. Now, for the finances…" He took a moment to consult the will. "David and Mary, you'll be receiving fifty thousand pounds, and Charlie and Sam will each receive twenty-five thousand pounds."

If I'd been a cartoon character, my jaw would have most certainly hit the floor. _Twenty-five thousand pounds? I can buy a house with that! How on earth did grandad have a hundred thousand pounds?_

"How much?" Charlie squeaked.

"Twenty-five thousand pounds," Mr Thorne repeated with a smile. "Your grandfather was a shrewd investor. I know he lived simply, but he was actually quite a wealthy man. The remaining twelve-thousand pounds from his investments will be donated to several charities that he's specified. Oh, and there is one more stipulation. Sam's twenty-five thousand pounds is to be kept in a trust fund, controlled by you, David, until Sam either marries or turns twenty-five; whichever comes first."

Now it was my turn to pout. "So, I can't touch the money until I'm twenty-five?"

"Not unless your father agrees to it," Mr Thorne explained. "If Charlie wasn't already married, the same stipulation would apply to him."

Charlie sniggered, earning a punch in the shoulder from me. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Sniggering, and payback for pinching me before."

"All right, that's enough you two," mum snapped. "Go and wait outside while your father and I finalise everything."

Reluctantly, Charlie and I left Mr Thorne's office. Charlie grinned.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Bronwyn and I have been thinking about buying a little café in Pontypandy. We can do that now with our inheritance. What'll you do with grandad's house?"

"I'm not sure yet. I don't think I could live there though. The car will be handy, so I think I'll keep that for now. I had no idea grandad was so wealthy! How on earth did he earn so much money?"

"Didn't he tell you what he did for a living?"

I shook my head. "I thought he was just a fisherman."

"Watch it! Nobody's 'just a fisherman'."

"Right, sorry."

"Grandad was a property investor. As far as I know, he owns…owned, five houses here in Cardiff and over twenty houses in Pontypandy. He rented them out, and when he had enough money, he'd buy a new house and rent that out. I just had no idea that he'd made such a huge profit from it. I'm not sure what will happen to the houses and renters now. We'll let mum and dad sort that out."

I shook my head in disbelief. _Grandad was so smart. I'm going to miss him terribly._ A tear fell from my right eye before I could stop it. Charlie pulled me into a brotherly hug.

"Go ahead and cry, Sam. I know how much you loved him."

"Thanks, Charlie," I whispered. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close to me. "I don't know what I'd do without you."


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs AND original story ideas belong to me. Copying and/or reworking my ideas and plotlines is plagiarism. I work very hard to research and create my stories, and it's insulting and morally wrong to find my ideas and plotlines appearing on other websites without any credit being given to me. IT DOESN'T HURT TO ASK!**

Chapter 29

"Come on, Sam. Eat your lunch," mum gently coaxed me.

I stopped toying with my salad and I set the fork down on my plate with a heavy sigh. "I'm not hungry, mum."

"Again?" Mum was about to say more, but a stern glare from dad caused her to refrain. There was silence for a moment, but then Charlie spoke.

"May I have your lunch, Sam, if you're not going to have it?"

"Sure." And I pushed my plate across the table to him. Charlie immediately started devouring my lunch. Mum frowned, but she didn't say anything.

It was later in the day, and we were back at grandad's, or rather, my house in Cardiff. I knew I would never get used to the idea of it being my house now, so I'd almost made up my mind to either rent it out or sell it. Either way, I didn't think I could bear the thought of seeing other people living in the same house grandad had died in. I'd already decided to ask my parents about what to do with the house later. Now, obviously, was not the right time.

The doorbell rang. "That'll be the man from the funeral company," dad said as he stood up to go and answer it. I stood up too.

"Where are you going, Sam?" mum asked.

"Out. I don't want to be here while you're discussing what to do at grandad's funeral."

"But, Sam…!"

Charlie placed a hand on mum's arm. "Let him go, mum. He doesn't need to stay if he doesn't want to."

I nodded my thanks to Charlie before I hurried over to the back door. I paused long enough to put on my steel-cap firefighting boots, and then I went outside. I knew exactly where I wanted to be right then, so I took off jogging towards the university.

I knew Cardiff well enough by now to find my way around on foot. I also knew of several short-cuts, which enabled me to reach my destination much faster. I breathed a small sigh of relief as I approached the Cardiff Central Fire Station. I wasn't sure which watch were on duty, but I hoped it was White Watch.

Peeking into the appliance bay, I smiled when I saw Harry walking towards the watch room.

"Harry!" I called. He froze, before smiling as he recognised me.

"Sam? What on earth are you doing here?"

I entered the appliance bay. "I…Is Station Officer Michaels in at all?"

"Sure, he's up in his office. Is something wrong? You look as if you're about to cry."

I felt like it too. "You'd better come as well. I have something to tell you both."

Harry followed me upstairs to Station Officer Michaels' office.

"Come in!" Station Officer Michaels called when I knocked. His raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw me enter. "Sam? What are you doing here? This isn't a training day, you know."

"Sir, Sam has something he wants to tell both of us privately," Harry said as he closed the office door. Station Officer Michaels gestured with his hand, indicating for me to continue.

"Um… I think you should know that my grandad died in his sleep last night," I told them. "We're not sure what killed him. The paramedics thought it was either a heart attack or a stroke."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Sam," Station Officer Michaels sympathised. "I hope you're not on your own?"

"No, my parents and older brother are here now. They're taking care of everything."

"Good," Harry said. "We couldn't let you be on your own dealing with this."

"Ironically, yesterday I found out that I've been accepted into the Cardiff Fire Academy," I added humbly. "Grandad died knowing that I'm one step closer to fulfilling my dream."

"Oh, Sam!" Station Officer Michaels said sadly. "I know it's bittersweet, but congratulations!"

"Thank you, sir. I guess I'd better get going."

"No," Harry replied firmly. "You're upset, and I can see that you need a drink. Come into the kitchen, and we'll get you a nice cup of tea, all right?"

I nodded in agreement. "Thanks, Harry."

A couple of hours later, I was down in the appliance bay, restocking the fire extinguishers in the appliances, when my parents' car pulled up out the front. I sighed when I saw Charlie get out of the driver's seat. He started to come into the appliance bay, but I stopped him.

"Staff only beyond that point, Charlie."

Charlie froze in the doorway. "I thought I'd find you here. Are you ready to leave?"

I pulled down the pump-ladder's locker door, slamming it shut. "I suppose so. What happened?"

"Mum and dad have decided to return home, and they want you to come too. I also want you to come home."

I shook my head. "I have too much to do here, Charlie."

"But you've finished your studies."

"Yes, and I'm about to start at the fire academy."

"That's not until the end of the summer. Don't you want to attend grandad's funeral?"

I sighed despondently. "I suppose I'd better… I'll just go and tell Station Officer Michaels that I'm leaving."

…

Five days later, I was sitting on the beach near Pontypandy quay, watching the waves gently crashing onto the shore. It was early in the morning, so the sun was just peeking over Pontypandy Mountain behind me.

A shadow fell over me. Looking up, I saw Charlie standing beside me. He was wearing a black mourning suit. He sympathetically placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You need to come and get ready for the funeral," he told me gently.

I shook my head. "I can't… I can't say goodbye."

Charlie crouched down, taking care not to get sand on his suit. "You have to, Sam. Remember what that man from the funeral company said? Saying goodbye and taking part in the funeral service will help bring you closure. You'll regret it if you don't. Come along, now. You don't want to annoy mum today of all days."

With a heavy, reluctant sigh, I stood up, and I wiped the sand off my clothes. Then, I picked up a glass jar that I'd filled with sand from the beach. Together, Charlie and I walked back to the quay and through the streets of Pontypandy to our parents' house.

Just over an hour later, I stood with my family outside St Giles' church waiting for the hearse carrying grandad's body to arrive. Inside, all of grandad's closest friends in Pontypandy were seated, waiting for the funeral to commence. That included Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele. It was sobering seeing everyone dressed in black.

I swallowed the lump that rose in my throat when the hearse pulled up in front of the church. With great respect, eight undertakers removed grandad's oak coffin from the hearse. The organist began playing a mournful hymn as grandad's coffin was carried down the nave of the church. Mum and dad fell into step behind the coffin, followed by myself, Charlie, Gwen, and Bronwyn and Gareth with Sarah and James. I was glad that Sarah and James were too young to completely understand what had happened, but they did seem to know that it was something bad.

I joined my family in the pew that had been reserved for us at the front of the church. I picked up the order of service pamphlet. Dad had followed through with my suggestion to have it printed in Welsh and English.

For most of the service, I just sat in silence with my head bowed. I listened to everything that was said, but I didn't really absorb much. I only paid attention during the eulogy, because dad presented it. What he said almost reduced me to tears, but I managed to hold them back. I didn't mind crying in private, but I tried hard not to cry in public.

"It's our turn now, Sam," Charlie whispered to me as dad returned to his seat.

Swallowing back my threatening tears, I stood up, and I followed Charlie over to the lectern. Two Bibles had been laid out on it – one in English and one in Welsh. They were opened to the same passage. I pulled the Welsh Bible closer to myself. My threatening tears made the words burry, so I blinked several times to try and clear them.

 _Why did I ever agree to do this? I hate public speaking._

Someone coughed, making me glance up at the congregation. I drew in a deep breath, and then I started to read.

"Pregethwr tri, un i dri. Y mae tymor i bob peth, ac amser i bob gorchwyl dan yn nef: amser i eni, ac amser i farw…" My voice faltered at the word 'farw' (to die). I bowed my head just as a tear finally fell from my right eye. Charlie stepped closer to me, and he placed his hands on my shoulders.

"Keep going," he whispered. "You can do this. Do it for grandad. He's listening from Heaven."

Nodding, I wiped the tear away with my finger.

"Amser i blannu, ac amser i ddiwreiddio'r hyn a blannwyd; amser i ladd, ac amser i iacháu, amser i dynnu i lawr, ac amser i adeladu; amser i wylo, ac amser i chwerthin, amser i alaru, ac amser i ddawnsio; amser i daflu cerrig, ac amser i'w casglu, amser i gofleidio, ac amser i ymatal; amser i geisio, ac amser i golli; amser i gadw, ac amser i daflu ymaith; amser i rwygo, ac amser i drwsio, amser i dewl, ac amser i siarad; amser i garu, ac amser i gasáu, amser i ryfel, ac amser i heddwch."

I respectfully closed the Welsh Bible, and I pulled the English one closer to me. Charlie pointed to the start of the passage. After I'd glanced at Charlie for reassurance, we started to read in unison.

"Ecclesiastes three, one to eight. To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

Charlie closed the English Bible, and we returned to our seats. Everyone stood up as the organist began playing the next hymn, The Old Rugged Cross.

Later, I stood with my family in the cemetery outside St Giles', watching as grandad's coffin was slowly lowered into the ground in our family's plot. He was being buried alongside my grandmother, who'd died before I'd been born. I clutched the jar of beach sand close to my chest. The beach had been grandad's favourite place, and I wanted him to have some of it with him in the grave.

The Rector picked up a handful of soil. "For as much as it pleased Almighty God of his great mercy, to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed, we therefore commit his body to the ground. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…" The Rector paused to slowly drop the soil into the grave. I bit my bottom lip when the soft thumping of the soil landing on the coffin reached my ears. The Rector continued. "…In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life, through our Lord, Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto his glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. Amen."

"Amen," most of those present echoed.

I knelt on the carpet beside the grave, and I opened the jar of sand. Slowly and respectfully, I tipped the sand onto the coffin, spreading it as evenly as I could. "Hwylio ar, tad-cu (sail on, grandad)," I whispered tearfully. Emotionally drained, I broke down as the tears I'd held back all day finally spilled over. Mum and dad helped me stand up, and they gently led me away as the undertakers started filling in the grave.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs and original story ideas belong to me.**

Chapter 30

A few weeks later – September 1985

The strains of the hit song, 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" filled my car as I drove along the M4 towards Cardiff. Carried away by the music, I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel in time with the beat.

I was finally on my way to the Cardiff Fire Academy to begin my training. Although I wasn't quite over grandad's death yet, I had been somewhat comforted by the autopsy results. He had died from a sudden stroke. Everyone had reassured me the it had happened so quickly, he would've died peacefully without knowing what was happening to him.

As for my inheritance, after consulting with my parents, Charlie and the lawyer, Mr Thorne, I'd decided to sell grandad's Cardiff house and put the money in my trust account so it would gain interest. I hoped to use the money to purchase a house of my own one day. The house had just gone on the market, so I wasn't expecting to hear anything for a few weeks at least.

The song ended as I exited the M4 at Cardiff Gate. I turned off the radio so I could concentrate on finding my way to the fire academy. I knew it wasn't too far from the exit, and sure enough, I soon saw a large complex off to my left with a sign saying 'SWFRS – Cardiff Fire Training Academy' near the front gate.

After I'd parked my car in the visitor's carpark, I carried my file of documents over to the administration building. Since I was wearing casual clothes, I felt a bit out of place when I saw that most of the people that I passed were wearing dress uniforms.

Inside the administration building, I went straight over to the desk where a pretty, brunette receptionist was sitting. She smiled as she looked up at me.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm here for the new recruitment course," I replied.

"I thought as much. May I have your name, please?"

"Jones. Samuel Jones."

The receptionist glanced through a sheet of names. "Jones, Samuel… Ah, yes! I've found you. Would you mind just signing next to your name on the roll here? That way we can confirm your arrival."

I gladly did so. The receptionist opened a drawer and she took out a key on a lanyard. She also placed a map and a folder filled with more documents down on the desk in front of me.

"Here's the key to your dormitory room. You're in room forty-seven on the first floor of the residence block. And here's a map, just in case you don't have one yet. You'll need this form to collect your uniforms, and this sheet contains a list of internal phone numbers that you can access if the need arises. It's just the numbers for the academy's medic, dean, chaplaincy and so on. Oh, and this is your library card. You'll need that to get your text books. Since you're here early, you have a few days to sort out which textbooks and workbooks you'll need to borrow or purchase. If you have any further questions, you'll have to ask the Dean of Students, Sub-Officer Gooding. I'll phone him now to let you know that you've arrived."

"Thank you. Is there anywhere for me to park my car?"

"Yes, there's a carpark for students in an underground carpark underneath the residence block. Just look for the carpark number that corresponds with your room number. If you park in the wrong spot… Well, let's just say that some students have had very nasty pranks played on them, so stay alert."

I smiled as I picked up the pile of documents. "Don't worry. I've been a cadet at Cardiff Central for the past three years. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve now."

"Then, I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck with the course. I hope you'll enjoy it here."

"Thank you, I'm sure I will."

I returned outside to my car, and I drove it around to the residence block. After I'd parked it in my allocated carpark, I took my suitcase out of the boot. Then, I headed upstairs to find my dormitory room.

When I'd found room forty-seven, I unlocked the door and I went inside. It wasn't a large room, but it was adequate for my needs. Along the right-hand wall was a single bed and a chest of drawers. To the left just inside the door was a cupboard, and in the left-hand wall was a door leading to the bathroom. Also along the left-hand wall was a desk with a lamp. Finally, in the centre of the wall opposite the door was a French window leading onto a small balcony that overlooked a small former airfield. I realised that the former airfield must be part of the training facilities.

I closed the door, and I set about unpacking my suitcase. Since I would be in uniform a lot from now on, I haven't brought many clothes. Just enough to get by for the occasional night out and my days off. I set a framed picture of my family, with grandad in it, on the desk, where I'd be able to see it every day.

"I'll make you proud of me, grandad," I told his photograph. Then, I gathered up the paperwork I needed, and I left my room.

By nightfall, I had collected my new uniforms and my textbooks, and I was trying to decide what I should wear for dinner in the mess hall. Before I could make up my mind, there was a knock on my door. When I opened it, I saw an officer standing there.

"Samuel Jones?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Sub-Officer Gooding, the Dean of Students. I've been trying to find you all day."

"Sorry," I apologised. "I found the library rather fascinating."

Sub-Officer Gooding chuckled. "Station Officer Michaels said that you were studious. Anyway, I'd like to formally welcome you to the Cardiff Fire Academy. I hope you've found your room comfortable?"

"I haven't spent much time in it yet, but so far I like it."

"Good. Well, put on your station uniform and come downstairs to the mess hall for dinner. You're to wear your station uniform at all times, except when you're on the parade ground or undergoing practical training."

"Thank you for explaining that. I'll be there shortly." I closed the door with a small sigh of relief. Sub-Officer Gooding had solved my problem for me. I picked up my station uniform, and I quickly changed into it.

…

Over the following few days, I started to settle into the academy. It took me a couple of days to find out exactly where everything was on the campus. Other students also moved in during those few days before classes began. Although there was a recreation hall on the academy where we could play table tennis, pool and various other games, I spent my time either in the gym or in the library, studying.

Finally, the first day of classes arrived. I woke up to my alarm at six a.m., and I went to have a shower and dress for the day. At five minutes to seven, I made my way downstairs to the parade ground in the middle of the quadrangle. I was wearing my dress uniform, as were all of the other recruits and the officers.

At precisely seven o'clock, the Station Officer blew a whistle loudly. "All right, everyone! Listen up! I want all of the new recruits to line up in alphabetical order on my left. Everyone else, fall in!"

I joined the twenty-nine other new recruits off to the far side of the quadrangle. Sub-Officer Gooding came over to us. He was carrying a clipboard.

"Right, when I call your surname, please stand where I indicate. Adams," he pointed to where the young man should stand. "Armstrong, Briggs, Davies… There's two of you, so you can decide where you want to stand. In the next row, I want Dawes, Edwards, Elliot, Evans and Grant. In the third row, I want Hughes… Oh dear! This always happens. We've got six Jones' again. If your surname is Jones, please step forward."

I took a step forward, as did five other recruits. Sub-Officer Gooding shook his head in amusement.

"I suppose they have the same problem in China, with half the population named Chen or Wang. Okay, I want you four to go in this row, and the other two can go in the row behind."

I joined the four other Jones' in the third row. Although I'd never learned how to do drill and march before, I naturally stood at ease until Sub-Officer Gooding had finished assigning our places to us.

As soon as we were ready, the Station Officer called us to attention. "First of all, welcome to the new term. Let's give a warm welcome to our newest recruits."

A spattering of applause filled the quadrangle for a moment.

"For the benefit of our new recruits, I'm Station Officer Harman. Although this is a training academy, it is also a working fire station. Our senior trainees will start attending major callouts this term as part of the final stage of their training, so please remember to keep all marked clearways clear at all times. And, just a reminder to everyone, hazing acts will not be tolerated on this campus. Anyone caught committing an act of hazing will be expelled. There is no excuse for such childish behaviour in this day-and-age. Now, let's begin our drill and march practice. The new recruits can watch today, but you'll be expected to join in tomorrow. Right, rank! About turn! By the left, quick march!"

At eight o'clock, I joined everyone in the mess hall for breakfast. After breakfast, I went upstairs to attend my first theory class. It was very basic, really, so I mostly let my mind wander. However, it did give me a chance to analyse my new training officer. His name was Sub-Officer Lees. He appeared to be quite strict initially, but I managed to detect a bit of a mischievous side to him. On my way out of the classroom after the class, I decided to test him by dropping a small, fake spider on his desk while he was packing up his papers. I had the satisfaction of hearing him gasp with fright as I went through the doorway.

…

By the end of my fourth week at the Cardiff Fire Academy, I'd settled in nicely, and I'd made a few new friends. My closest friend was another recruit named Jason Short. He was from the city of Bath in England and, like me, he'd been a Fire Cadet from the age of fifteen. He also enjoyed playing pranks on people, so we had a lot in common. However, he had one vice. He loved to drink in excess. Thanks to my mum's influence, I'd never been interested in touching alcohol, even though I'd occasionally seen my dad and grandad enjoying a beer after fishing. Due to the campus' strict rules, we were not permitted to have any alcohol on campus, and we certainly weren't allowed to report for training drunk, or we'd be expelled.

Despite the rules, Jason often tried to get me to go out drinking with him on Friday and Saturday nights, but I always managed to come up with an excuse not to go. That was, until the end of our fourth week. Jason came to my room at six o'clock on Saturday evening.

"Get your coat, Sam," he ordered as he barged into my room. "We're going to Clwb Ifor Bach tonight to hear a new band play."

Before I could think of an excuse not to go, Jason shoved my coat into my hands, and he pushed me out of my room, closing the door behind us.

"Did you want me to drive?" I finally managed to ask as we made our way downstairs to the carpark.

"Nah, I can manage."

"Jason, I really think I should drive," I insisted.

Jason unlocked his car and he got into the driver's seat. I reluctantly got into the front passenger seat and I put on the seatbelt. Jason started up his car, and we set off.

We arrived at the nightclub about fifteen minutes later. The loud music nearly deafened me as we entered the building. Jason led the way upstairs to the first floor and he went straight over to the bar.

"Two pints of your best beer," Jason told the bartender.

"Jason, I don't want to drink," I told him firmly.

"You're not much fun, are you?" Jason retorted. "I'll have yours then."

"I'll just have orange juice, please," I said to the bartender when he gave Jason the beers. He nodded and poured me a glass from the tap.

Jason and I went to sit down at a table. He gulped down his beer, while I sipped on my orange juice. As the band began to play a lively jive, Jason got up to dance with a girl that he merely grabbed from the table next to us. Disgusted by Jason's behaviour, I looked around the room. My eyes settled on a girl wearing a royal blue cocktail dress that was so short, I could almost see her underwear. She was getting settled at a nearby table with a group of friends. When she turned her head to face me, I gasped in surprise. It was Gwen!

I immediately picked up my glass of orange juice, and I went over to the table. Gwen still didn't know I was there, so I coughed to get her attention. She looked up at me, surprised.

"Sam? What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you the same question," I replied as I set my orange juice down on the table. Then, I offered her my hand. "Shall we dance?"

Gwen happily took my hand, and I escorted her onto the dancefloor. We talked as we jived along with everyone else.

"What are you doing here in Cardiff?" I asked her.

"I'm working as a secretary in a bank," she replied. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

"No. How long have you been there?"

"I just started this week. Those girls with me are my housemates. We're all working at the same bank."

"I suppose you know where I'm living?"

"Yes, at the Fire Academy. Are you enjoying it there?"

"Yes. I'm going to start the driving course next week."

"So, you're going to start learning to drive the fire trucks?"

I nodded. "It's something I've always wanted to do."

"So, what are you doing here, in a nightclub? I know you don't drink."

"I was dragged here against my will by a friend."

"Some friend! He sounds like a bad influence on you."

"Yeah, I know. But we do get along well most of the time." I glanced over at Jason. He was gulping down another pint of beer. "I think I'd better get him out of here before he gets drunk. He's also doing the driving course on Monday, and he needs to be sober for it."

"I think that's a wise idea. Would you like to catch up again sometime soon?"

"We can. I only get weekends off training though."

"That's okay. I only get weekends free too. Would you like to meet up somewhere tomorrow afternoon? There's a nice seafood café down at the quay that'd I'd like to try."

"Sure, I'll be happy to meet you there," I agreed. "We'd better exchange phone numbers. Would you like me to pick you up?"

"That'd be nice. Would one o'clock be a good time for you to collect me?"

"Yes, that's perfect."

We returned to Gwen's table, where we exchanged phone numbers and addresses. We then bid each other goodnight, and I went to find Jason. I found him back at the bar, ordering another pint of beer.

"How many have you had?" I asked him.

"This is me fourth." Jason's voice was slightly slurred.

I tried to take the glass out of his hand. "You've had enough, Jason!"

"No, I's 'aven't!" Jason retorted. "Gimme me beer!"

I tried even harder to wrestle the glass from Jason's hand. The beer started spilling out, and that provoked Jason into anger. With a scream of rage, he pulled the glass out of my hands, and he slammed it down on the bar, shattering it into thousands of pieces. They rained down onto the floor, along with the rest of the beer. I felt some of the larger pieces of glass hit my lower left leg, but luckily, they bounced off my trousers.

Sensing everyone staring at us, I seized Jason by the arm, and I dragged him downstairs, and out of the nightclub. Once outside, I tried to take Jason's keys out of his pocket.

"No, Sham!" Jason slurred. "I'll drive."

I grabbed him by his shoulders. "Jason, listen to me! You're drunk! You can't drive."

Jason pushed me in the chest so hard that he winded me and I almost fell over. Before I could regain my composure, Jason got into his car and he drove away, leaving me standing alone on the footpath. With a heavy sigh, I started the long walk back to the Fire Academy.

…

It was almost eleven-thirty in the evening by the time I arrived back at the Fire Academy. Sub-Officer Gooding was waiting for me inside his office, which I had to pass to get to my room.

"Come in and sit down, Samuel," he said sternly.

As I entered the office, I saw Jason sitting in there with his head in his hands. I sat down on the chair beside him.

"Now, you two," Sub-Officer Gooding began as he closed the office door. He sat back down behind his desk before continuing. "I want a full report about what happened to you tonight. I've already had to bail Jason out of police custody, Samuel, so you'd better have a better explanation for being back here past curfew."

"Jason left me behind when he drove back here, sir, so I had to walk from downtown."

"I see. Why didn't you catch a bus?"

"Have you been on a bus on Saturday night?"

Sub-Officer Gooding slammed his fist down on the desk as he leapt to his feet. "I am NOT in the mood for back-chat, Samuel Jones! Anymore lip from you, and you'll be put on report!"

"Sorry, sir," I muttered humbly in reply. "I didn't think of catching a bus because I'm not familiar with their routes."

Sub-Officer Gooding sat back down, and he wrote down my answer. He then removed a brown cardboard box with a green label on the cover from his desk drawer, and he opened it. "How much alcohol did you have to drink tonight?"

"None, sir."

Sub-Officer Gooding took a plastic tube out of the box, and he attached a small plastic bag to it. "We'll see about that. Blow into this tube for ten seconds. I'll tell you when to start."

I stood up and I took the breathalyser from him. Sub-Officer Gooding looked at his watch. He nodded for me to start, so I drew in a big breath of air, and I started blowing into the tube.

"Okay, you're done," Sub-Officer Gooding said once the ten seconds had passed. He took the tube from me, and he looked at it. "Hmm… It seems you're telling the truth. You can go to bed now, Sam. I'll talk to you again tomorrow morning."

"Goodnight, sir," I whispered before I left the office.

…

Jason didn't appear for breakfast the following morning. Sub-Officer Gooding told me afterwards that Jason had been expelled due to his drink driving charge. That news made me realise just how close I'd come to being expelled, so for at least the following week, I was a model student to make up for allowing myself to get involved with Jason. I never saw him again after that Saturday night.


End file.
